<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Coming Home by Aulophobia</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24080287">Coming Home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aulophobia/pseuds/Aulophobia'>Aulophobia</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Hiding [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blaise Zabini is a Good Friend, Determined Hermione Granger, Emotional Roller Coaster, Established Relationship, M/M, Missing Persons, Runaway Harry, Secret Relationship, Supportive Narcissa Black Malfoy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:09:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>47,557</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24080287</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aulophobia/pseuds/Aulophobia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry Potter gets up and walks out of his friends’ house after recieving a text message and isn't seen again.  In trying to find him, his friends have to face some unpleasant truths.  Harry, meanwhile, is trying to get on with his life having escaped everything to be with the man he loves.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Hiding [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1730920</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>95</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>369</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Attic Room</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is the Sequal to One Last Mistake and starts from the moment Harry leaves to go to Draco.  The story will probably make more sense if you've read One Last Mistake first, but its not 100% necessary.  There is some overlap however as the last chapter of that occurs 10 years after this story begins.  There is also prequel to One Last Mistake, which is the 1st installment of this series.</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ginny, Ron and Hermione try and search for Harry in the immediate aftermath of his disappearence.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is an introductory chapter giving a more indepth version of what Ron, Hermione and Ginny do to try and find Harry in the first few weeks after his disappearence.  I hope it gives people a better idea of Harry's state of mind immediately leading up to his flight. The story starts properly in the next chapter with Draco and Harry.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ron, Hermione and Ginny all looked at each other stunned.  What the hell had happened?  Harry had just stormed out the house without hardly a word.</p><p>“Do we… you know… go after him?”  Hermione asked, looking apprehensively between Ron and Ginny.</p><p>“I’m not sure.” Ginny replied, seeming just as uncertain as Hermione felt.  “What do you do when your husband ups and leaves without saying anything?”</p><p>“I don’t think there’s a protocol for that Gin.” Hermione laughed nervously. “Ron, did he say anything to you?  We just heard the shouting.” </p><p>“No.  His phone buzzed.  I think he got a message.  Then he just stood up to leave.  If I hadn’t have stopped him before he got to the door he would have just walked out without a word.  I know he’s been looking a bit ill over the last few months, but even so, this was odd.  Do you think he’s having a breakdown of some kind?  We’re a bit young to be having a midlife crisis.  He’s not even twenty yet, for crying out loud.”</p><p>“I don’t know Ron.  Maybe we should go back over to yours Gin, see if he went home.  I don’t like the idea of leaving him out there by himself.  Not if he seemed upset.  I’m worried about him.”</p><p>“It’s as good idea as any.  Hopefully he’ll be there.  Maybe we can get him to talk about what’s been bothering him.”  Gin replied, though the tone of her voice had no hope in it at all.</p><p> </p><p>The three of them apparated to Grimmauld place and walked into the entrance.  Nothing seemed to have been disturbed.  It was the same inside.  They walked from room to room, trying to find any evidence that Harry had been here. </p><p>“Homenum Revilo” Hermione cast the spell, she wasn’t hopeful, given there seemed to be no sign of him in the house, but thought it was worth a try.  There was nothing.  No, not quite nothing.  There was a weird blank spot that her spell wasn’t reaching. “What’s there Ginny?” Hermione asked, indicating the odd area of the house the spell didn’t seem to be reacting with properly.</p><p>“I don’t know.  I never go up there.”  Ginny shrugged.</p><p>“It’s Harry’s old room.” Ron supplied. </p><p>“Do you think we should try in there?”</p><p>“Well he’s not in the rest of the house, Herm.  But I can’t imagine why he’d go up there.  As far as I know it’s just an empty room now.  He stopped using it when Gin moved in.”</p><p>“If no one has any better ideas, I say we look.”   </p><p>They all made their way up the stairs towards the room.  It felt odd.  Like they were having to forcefully will themselves to go up each step when everything was telling them just to leave the room be.  Whatever was in this room, Harry had put up some serious wards around it.  Ron reached the top of the stairs first and loudly knocked on the door.  There was no response and he couldn’t hear anything from inside.  He tried opening the door, but unsurprisingly it was locked.  They each tried various spells to try and get in, but all of them failed.  Giving up they went downstairs to the living room and sat, unsure as to what to do next.    For something to do Hermione went to the kitchen to make them all a pot of tea. Ron and Ginny were still sat in silence when she returned.</p><p>“Look, we don’t know that anything’s wrong, do we?  He could have just been called into work or something and he’ll be back later.” Hermione wasn’t going to let herself think anything was wrong until she had more proof. </p><p>“If it were work, he would have said.  Besides since when does the Ministry send text messages.”  Ginny was trying to be logical.  Harry had been becoming increasingly distant since they’d gotten married.  She knew Hermione was trying to help, but something told Ginny that Harry wasn’t just going to come home that evening and laugh about all of this with them. </p><p>“It doesn’t mean he won’t just turn up tonight and apologise for scaring us all.” Hermione insisted</p><p>“The look on his face ‘Mione.  You didn’t see it.” Ron took a sip of his tea, then threw the mug down onto the floor, smashing the cup and sending the hot liquid everywhere.  “I need something fucking stronger than tea to drink.”</p><p>“Ron…” Hermione started but didn’t know what to say.  She sat there and watched as he stomped to the kitchen and came back with a full bottle of one of Harry’s most expensive whiskeys.  He poured himself a large glass and started drinking.  They stayed together in the living room of Harry and Ginny’s home the rest of the night.  None of them sleeping.  Ron getting steadily more and more drunk and occasionally ranting.  Hermione getting her and Ginny more tea.   Ginny just sat staring into the fireplace.</p><p> </p><p>When Harry didn’t return by the Monday morning, they filed an official report with the Aurors.  The first new bit of information they heard was that Harry had been seen running through the Ministry the Friday evening he’d left.  He’d disapparated from the official point in the lobby.  The Aurors had tried to trace where he’d gone to, but it looked like he’d hopped between several locations once he’d left the Ministry.  They’d managed to follow his path through the first three but after that there was no sign of him.  Harry had purposefully covered his tracks, which was disturbing.  It was a trick that all Aurors knew.  It was often utilised by people trying to cover up illegal business deals.   None of them could work out why Harry had felt the need to keep his movements untraceable. </p><p>It was Ron who eventually decided they should try looking up in the blocked off bedroom again.  This was four weeks after Harry had gone.  There had been no progress either in working out what had happened that Friday, or in locating where he was now.  The Aurors had managed to track his phone signal eventually.  The signal had been cut off, probably when the battery gave out, but had appeared to have been in the vicinity of Grimmauld place up until that point.  It meant, in all likeliness, that Harry had been there that day.  He’d probably still been there when they’d arrived, based on when he’d been seen at the Ministry.  The only place he could have been was that bedroom. </p><p>Hermione spent a week trying to break in before giving up.  Staying up near the door made her feel sick with the effort and none of her spells even came close to breaking the wards. She flopped back down on the couch after another fruitless day, exhausted by the effort.  Ginny was in the kitchen cooking dinner for the two of them.  Ron was working late that evening.</p><p>“I cannot get into that damn room.” Hermione exclaimed.</p><p>“It’s really odd.  Unless I concentrate, I can hardly picture there being a room there at all.  I can’t believe Harry warded his old room to that extent.” Ginny replied. </p><p>“There must be something in there.  If only we could get in.”</p><p>“We need help.  This is the only lead we have to try and find Harry.”</p><p>“Who from?  The Aurors have all but given up.  They decided that there was no foul play involved, which I’m still not completely convinced about even if they are.  But that was enough for them.  You would have thought they’d search a bit harder for Harry, given who he is.  He’s one of their own for crying out loud.”  Hermione was completely exasperated by the official investigation. </p><p>“I wasn’t thinking about the Aurors actually.  I think we need a curse breaker.  I’m sure Bill will help.”</p><p>“What is wrong with me?  I should have thought of that.”</p><p>“It’s okay Herm.  You’re tired and frustrated.  Not to mention worried about Harry.  You can’t expect to think of everything.”</p><p>“I know.  I just need to know what happened.  I need him to be okay.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It took Bill a further week to untangle the mass of wards, charms and curses that stopped anyone from entering the bedroom.  Some of them he had recognised as being laid by Harry, whilst others seemed to be directly created by the house.  As if the house had responded to Harry’s need to keep this room hidden.  Bill had had to run as soon as he got the room open but told them to get in there as quickly as possible.  He thought there was a good chance the room would ward itself again.  Ginny decided not to go in and leave it up to Ron and Hermione to search.  She’d moved out of Grimmauld completely during the past week, deciding to go back home to the Burrow.  The longer he was gone the harder she found it to see the reminders of Harry’s absence. </p><p>When Harry’s two best friends entered the room, they were appalled at the state of it.  It wasn’t just the dust coating the surfaces, or the smell of stale sweat and dirt.  It was the whole atmosphere of this room.  Like something was wrong.  Like the room was trying to make them leave.  That they were intruding.  It was the same feeling they’d had when trying to get up the stairs but magnified.  They ignored the feeling but both of them felt decidedly uneasy.  Ron headed to the ensuite to check in there, whilst Hermione began looking round the bedroom.  The wardrobe and drawers were flung open, but other than Harry’s old school robes and a couple of pairs of disgusting socks, there wasn’t anything in them.  The clothes Harry had been wearing that last day, or at least the t-shirt and jacket, were flung on the floor.  The bed was the worst.  The sheets clearly hadn’t been changed in months.  There were stains that Hermione was sure could only be semen.  She wrinkled her nose at the scent of old sweat and sex coming from the foul thing.</p><p>“Find anything there ‘Mione?”</p><p>“Nothing useful.  This room is really unpleasant.  It’s making me feel sick.  It doesn’t want us here.”</p><p>“I know but we have to do this.  It’s the only place left we might find some clues as to how to find Harry.  I think those sheets are the same ones that were on the bed before the bachelor party.  I remember coming up here and chatting to Harry as we got ready to go out that evening. That was the last time I was in here.  There wasn’t anything wrong with the room then.  He got changed for the wedding downstairs the next day.  I didn’t think it was odd at the time, there’s more space downstairs.  But now I’m not so sure.  I think he was hiding this.  I don’t think he wanted anyone in here.  And I think the house knows he doesn’t want anyone up here.”</p><p>“The sheets look like they’re covered in cum.”</p><p>“Christ that’s gross.  Do you think he ever came up here?  I mean before that last day.  He was definitely here then.  I could see evidence he shaved in the bathroom, there’s hair just left all over the sink.  And those are the clothes he was wearing right.  Have you checked them yet?”</p><p>“Not yet.”</p><p>The phone was in the jacket pocket.  The battery was dead, but they knew there was a charger downstairs.  Maybe this would hold the clue they needed.  They headed out of the confusing room, feeling the wards push them down the stairs.  The door they’d left open slammed when they reached the bottom step.  They weren’t getting back in there again in a hurry. </p><p>They found a charger that fit in one of the drawers in Harry and Ginny’s old room.  Looking around the half empty room felt odd.  Ginny’s stuff was all gone but all of Harry’s stuff remained.  They’d searched through the place trying to see if Harry had taken anything when Ginny was packing.  He’d taken nothing.  Not a single item of clothing. Not the Marauders map, his invisibility cloak, or his photo albums.  Everything remained.   Hermione thought that the fact that he hadn’t even taken any personal items that they knew of, said that something had happened to Harry after walked out that day.  That he had meant to come back.  Ron wasn’t so sure.  They hadn’t touched any of it though.  It just stayed in the house, waiting for Harry to come back. </p><p>The phone turned on after 10 minutes charging.  Ron and Hermione sat on the floor, the phone still attached to the wall, whilst they looked through its contents.  They looked at the last message received first, the one that triggered him leaving.   It was confusing.  It was the only contact Harry had ever had from that number and the message didn’t tell them anything.  Obviously, whomever sent it assumed that Harry would know who it was from and what it meant.  They could tell the three words ‘<em>the usual spot’</em> indicated some kind of meeting place but where it might be was a mystery to them.  From Harry’s reaction, the two of them guessed that he had understood it completely.  That he’d left in order to see the person who sent the message.  They made a note to try and trace the number.  If this person wasn’t involved in Harry’s disappearance, then there was a good chance that they would at least have more knowledge of Harry’s movements that day.  If they were involved, maybe if they discovered their identity, it could help in the search.  Harry had taken great pains not to be able to be tracked when he went to this meeting though, which didn’t bode well.</p><p>They scrolled through the rest of the messages and calls.  There weren’t many, it seemed Harry deleted most texts he was sent and recieved.  In fact, the only other messages still on the phone, were all from one number, spanning a period of about 18 months.  Again this number didn’t have any contact details attached to it.  They scrolled through the messages and Hermione felt the blood drain from her face.</p><p>“That Bastard.” Ron shouted.  “That two-timing piece of shit.”</p><p>“Ron, we don’t know that that’s what was happening.” Hermione tried to reason.</p><p>“Look at the last message that went through.  ‘It’s my wedding night and I want you’.  That wasn’t to Ginny was it.  And then there are the failed messages.  Less than a week later.  He was on his honeymoon and he was trying to get in contact with the evil slut who thought she could steal Harry from my sister.”</p><p>“Ron, you can’t be sure.”</p><p>“Can’t I.  He was a miserable shit at the bachelor party I threw.  Got home, went straight up to his room and locked the door.  I know he locked the door because it was still locked when I went to get him up for breakfast that morning.  She was there.  She had to have been.”</p><p>“How could anyone have gotten into that room?”</p><p>“It wasn’t all locked up then, remember.”</p><p>“I know, but they would have had to have gotten past the wards of the house.  Without being let in by anyone.  You can’t apparate straight into this house.  The floo in that room is an exit only, so Harry couldn’t have let them in that way.   And you said you and the rest of your brothers were awake half the night drinking.  No one could have snuck in.”</p><p>“I know someone was up there that morning.” Ron insisted through gritted teeth.  “Besides, look at the earlier messages.  It looks like he saved every one.  They are clearly arranging to meet in some of those.  Look ‘Usual place, 6pm’, ‘Our café 2pm’.  And have you seen some of the earlier ones.  If that’s not flirting, I’ll eat my hair.  It doesn’t take a genius to work that out.  They’re probably to the same person who sent the other message.  The ‘Usual Place’ is clearly a specific location that they met at regularly.  And then look at those messages that failed to send.  Harry wrote those, begging whoever they were going to, to come back.”</p><p>“It’s odd that they didn’t send. </p><p>“I guess whoever it is either blocked Harry’s number, or disconnected the phone completely.”</p><p>“So maybe they tried to end it after Harry got married.”</p><p>“They still had sex with him the night before he did though.  And the bitch only managed 6 months before she contacted him again.”</p><p>“You can’t be sure they had sex.  They could have just been friends, or maybe it was some work contact, an informant or something.”</p><p>“The sheets Hermione.  Merlin, you’re usually better than me at this stuff.  Do you just not want to see it?  Those sheets were covered in the evidence that Harry had sex with whoever this woman is.  My guess is she walked out that morning and told him it was over, and Harry blocked up the room as some kind of disgusting shrine.  Can you think of any other explanation?”</p><p>“No, but I don’t want to believe it.  Those messages started right around when he and Ginny got back together after the war.  He can’t have been with this person that long with none of us realising.” Hermione let out a loud sigh.  “I don’t think we should tell Ginny until we’re sure.  She seems to be finding it harder the longer it goes on without any sign of him.  Let’s try and find this woman before we jump to any conclusions.  We can try and see whether those numbers lead us anywhere.”</p><p>Ron shook his head slowly, as if he were trying to gain control over his thoughts.  Hermione could see he was still furious but was thinking over what she said.  “Your right.  Telling Ginny now wouldn’t do any good.  She doesn’t need to know right away that her husband was a lying, cheating, piece of scum, on top of his disappearing act.”</p><p> </p><p>The phone numbers it turned out were another dead end.  The first number had been disconnected the day Harry had gotten married.  It was a pay as you go mobile and there was no way of tracking who’d made the purchase.  The last cell tower it had connected to, covered the area around Grimmauld place.  Ron had just looked at Hermione knowingly when they discovered that.  He’d been right about them being there that morning.   At first, they thought they had something with the second number, the one that sent the last message, but it too turned out to be another dead end.  It was another anonymous pay as you go, also disconnected.  It had been cut off early in the morning, the day after Harry had gone, somewhere in the vicinity of Heathrow Airport.  The only assumption they could draw from this was that the battery had been removed and it had been binned.  There was no way they could find the phone itself, but the fact that it had been left at Heathrow, they hoped told them something.  The two of them spent a fruitless couple of days trawling through passenger records for the two weeks following Harry’s disappearance in vain.  There was no record of him, either on muggle flights, or the international portkey records.  There was nothing else they could do.  Eight weeks after Harry’s disappearance, Ron and Hermione were forced to give up.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>In my head although Harry had warded the room most of what was going on with it was due to Grimmauld Place's reaction to his feelings about it.  He was depressed and keeping this part of his life secret from everyone and the house responded.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Unavoidable Errands</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Draco and Harry have spent the last 6 months having the time of their lives exploring the world.  Now it's time to settle down, but certain risks have to be taken first in order to ensure they can live the peaceful happy lives they both desire.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I think this has been the best 6 months of my entire life.”  Harry said. </p><p>They were both relaxing on brightly coloured towels on a private and heavily warded beach in the Mediterranean, sipping perfectly made cocktails that one of Draco’s elves had brought them.  The beach had been owned by the Malfoy family for several generations but had rarely been used. If Draco had known about it sooner, he was sure he and his friends from Slytherin would have spent half their summer vacations here. </p><p>Draco looked over to the dark-haired man lying next to him.  This man, lying reading in the sun, bore almost no resemblance to the exhausted, drained, wreck, who’d run off with him.  Thinking back, Draco knew that he’d looked no better then, either.  That first night at Blaise’s, after they’d given their host the low down on what they’d done and assured him that there was no way of tracing them to his, they’d practically crawled into one of the guest bedrooms.  They had spent a day running on nerves and adrenaline and when they’d finally stopped, they’d collapsed, completely exhausted.  Their nerves had still been on edge though, resulting in them both waking in the early hours, reaching for each other.  They had taken comfort in each other’s bodies.  Needing to reassure each other that this was real.  Eventually they’d fallen back to sleep, wrapped in each other’s arms.  At breakfast, the following morning, Blaise had teased both of them about how shit they looked.  Draco just shook his head and rolled his eyes at this, and Harry had thrown a piece of toast at him, complete with jam.  The resulting food fight had them all in hysterics.  Blaise managed in one night with refuge, a poor joke and some thrown food to secure the friendship with Harry that Draco had longed for when he’d first arrived at Hogwarts.  He almost wished he could go back and tell his younger self this, but when he looked over at Harry and saw the love in his eyes, he realised he wouldn’t change what they had now, however difficult it had been over the years.  They’d stayed at Blaise’s nearly a week before deciding what to do with themselves, recuperating in his beautiful home.  They’d scoured the papers daily to reassure themselves that no one had picked up on their trail.  After that week they’d started on their world adventure, going anywhere and everywhere they fancied.  Blaise had joined them occasionally.  Sometimes allowing himself to be seen with Draco, to try and give the impression they were travelling together.  Most of the time though, it was just him and Harry.  Draco knew they’d have to stop soon though, travelling was wonderful, but if they were going to make a life together, at some point they needed to stop.  They couldn’t spend the rest of their lives travelling, despite how tempting it was.  There were things they needed to do if they were going to ensure that they stayed hidden longer.  He was worried that if they continued the way they were, eventually someone would spot Harry.  Neither of them wanted that to happen, the fallout of Harry’s disappearance alone would be catastrophic; that he was with Draco would only make it worse.  That was why he’d suggested coming to this island.  It was going to be their last stop before they decided what they were going to do with the rest of their lives.</p><p>“I know, it’s been wonderful.” Draco sighed.  “We do need to think about what we’re going to do next though.  We can’t just spend the rest of our lives running around the world.  At some point we need to find somewhere to settle down.”</p><p>“Won’t we increase the risk of being found if stop moving though?” Harry pondered and Draco wasn’t surprised that his partner had the opposite opinion on him on what was the riskiest course.  Harry had never had to hide in plain sight like Draco had.  The majority of Harry’s experiences of hiding came from his year on the run, constantly moving. </p><p>“Not if we choose the right place.  Make sure everything is set up properly.  Besides, I want to make a home with you.”</p><p>“A home sounds nice.”</p><p>“I was thinking we could head back to Blaise’s in a couple of days.  I want to speak to my mother, and I think we should probably try and sort your finances out.  I don’t care that we’ve been living off my money, but I know you don’t like relying on me for that, no matter how many times I’ve told you I have more than I could ever spend.”</p><p>“Seeing your mum and Blaise again will be good, not that I don’t enjoy having your company exclusively.” Harry quickly reassured Draco.  “And it would be nice to have access to my own vaults.  To be able to spend my money spoiling you.”</p><p>“You spoil me enough as it is.”</p><p>“Sure I do, Love.  Do you think might be possible to try and sort something out with Grimmauld too.  I don’t think I could ever go back to live there, even if it were possible, but I’d like to give it to Teddy someday.”</p><p>“Teddy?”</p><p>“My godson.  I can’t believe I haven’t seen him in 6 months.  He’s going to be so big now.”</p><p>Seeing how Harry lit up talking about his family, made Draco feel guilty.  In this whole mess of a situation Harry had ended up with just him, whilst he was still able to contact his friends and family, though only his Mother and Blaise knew Harry was with him.  Although he didn’t want to, he had to offer Harry the opportunity to go back to the real world.  He’d done it hundreds of times in the last 6 months, and Harry had always refused.  This was the first time Harry had admitted that he missed some part of his old life though. </p><p>“You know if you wanted to go back, I would go with you.  We could face this together.” This was the last thing Draco wanted, the thought of admitting to Harry’s family the exact circumstances that led up to Harry’s flight and facing their disgust and derision, which would no doubt be directed at him and not Harry, was an unpleasant one.  There was also a good chance that he would be arrested.  Maybe Harry could prevent that, but it wasn’t guaranteed.  But he would do it if it was what Harry wanted.  He took a deep breath and continued, “You could see your friends again.  Your godson.  I’m the reason that we had to run, why we couldn’t just be together.”  That was the crux of the issue.  Draco was a Death Eater, and even though he’d been tried and finished his probation, most people thought he got off too lightly. </p><p>“It’s not your fault, love.” Harry stretched an arm out towards Draco.  Draco responded and reached his own arm towards Harry and clasped his hand.  They drew comfort from the simple touch, both thinking over everything that had led to this point.  Eventually Harry continued.  “I chose this.  I knew what running away would mean and I don’t regret it.  I don’t want to go back to that life.  I was miserable and none of them saw it.  None of them saw me.  I can’t pretend that there aren’t some things I miss though.  Like Teddy.  His Grandmother is looking after him.  I was meant to take him after his parents died but wasn’t ready at 18.  I was still a big part of his life and he mine until I left.  He was the only one who could make me really smile after I got married.   He reminded me of you. I don’t know whether you knew, but Teddy is your second cousin or something.  It’s your mother’s sister looking after him.”</p><p>“Andromeda?”  Even if Bellatrix had been alive no one would have left a child in her care.  He’d never met his Aunt Andromeda, she’d barely even been mentioned, having been disinherited before he was born.</p><p>“Yeah, do you know if your mother ever speaks to her?”</p><p>“I know they fell out of contact when they were much younger.  I’m not sure about more recently though.  I know mother mentioned something about wanting to get in contact with family again when we were discussing my wedding plans.  Maybe she was talking about Andromeda.”</p><p>“Maybe.”  Harry sounded sad.  Draco could see the little frown lines that told him Harry was thinking about something that upset him.  He didn’t like that.  Harry had dragged him out of the hell he lived in in the post war aftermath.  He’d seen past all of his mistakes as a teenager.  Harry loved him and had abandoned everything so they could be together.  If he could find a way, he would bring Teddy back into Harry’s life.</p><p>“Do Andromeda and Teddy have much contact with the Weasleys?” Draco enquired.  If they were in regular contact, then it would be significantly harder to stay in hiding and have contact with Teddy.</p><p>“I took Ron and Hermione with me to see Teddy once, but other than that, no.  I doubt very much they have anything to do with him with me gone.”  Harry looked over at Draco, and he was happy to see the little frown lines had gone, replaced with curiosity. “Why? You look like your plotting something.”</p><p>“I just had an idea.  Don’t worry about it.  Now, come over here, we still have a few days left of this holiday and I want to spend as much of it with you wearing no clothes and touching me.”</p><p>“I think that can be arranged.”</p><p>Draco grinned as the exquisite man, who was somehow his, wriggled out of his swimming trunks and made his way over to him.</p><p> </p><p>_____________________________</p><p> </p><p>“Well, don’t you two look well-rested and completely gorgeous.”  Blaise said, as Harry and Draco walk through the gates of his villa. </p><p>“Thanks, you’re looking particularly fetching today too.”  Harry replies with a grin.</p><p>“I’m always fetching, always have been, always will be.  You just never noticed before.  If you’d spent less time around Gryffindors at school, you would have noticed.  You would have had much more fun basking in my beauty than anything you managed with them.  No chance I can steal you away from that blonde thing next to you.  I promise I’m a much better catch.”  Blaise winked at Harry.  Harry snorted a half laugh.</p><p>“Not a chance, old friend.  Harry’s mine.” Draco said possessively, pulling Harry into him and making Harry laugh again. “Besides, you know I’m the better catch.  I’m worth at least 10 times as much as you, am much prettier to look at, and unlike you, am not straight”</p><p>“Sure, sure, Draco, whatever you say.” Blaise replied, with a dismissive wave of his hand.  “Are you two just going to stand around here all day or are you going to come in and have some food.  Your mother’s here and waiting in the morning room.”</p><p>They followed Blaise into the house and through to where Narcissa was seated sipping a cup of tea, looking every bit the elegant pure blood.  The table was laid for breakfast and they all sat down to eat, Harry and Draco filling them in on what they’d been up to on their holiday.  When they had all finished eating the topic of conversation turned to more serious matters.</p><p>“Mother, do you know a way we can sort it so Harry can get access to his vaults and properties etc., without us being discovered?” Draco asked.  How to do this in secret had plagued Draco’s thoughts since before they discussed it on the beach.  He knew his Father had always been good at hiding accounts and moving money around in secret.  He just hoped his mother would have an idea of how Father had done it.  Hopefully, his Father’s shady dealings and paranoia could be put to good use.  Draco took a degree of vindictive pleasure over idea of using his Father’s contacts to help Harry Potter, and how much his father would dislike it.</p><p>“I have the details of the solicitors that your Father always used to deal with that sort of thing.”  His mother replied nonchalantly, as if he’d asked nothing more difficult than to pass the jam.</p><p>“Do you think they’ll be able to help us?” Harry asked, despite his apprehension about the risk they were taking, Harry was excited about getting a modicum of independence back.</p><p>“I don’t doubt it, Harry. Draco, you want to try and start sorting it today?  You’ll need to come back to the Manor to contact them.”  Draco’s Mother answered, still talking as if this were the easiest task in the world.  Maybe it was going to be easier than Draco thought.  Whatever methods his Father had used had kept the Manor and all of the Malfoy vaults out the Ministry’s hands at the end of the war.</p><p>“No point waiting around I guess.” Draco said to his mother.  “Harry, you should stay here.  I’ll make contact enquiring about the possibility of wanting to move some accounts in secret.  They don’t need to know it’s you until we’re sure we can trust them.”  The two of them had argued over a couple of times already about this.  Draco had thought it was best if Harry was kept out of it until the last possible moment.  Harry wasn’t sure, he didn’t like the idea of Draco going back to England without him.  Draco had eventually won the argument with the logic that if Harry wanted to stay in hiding, he’d have to let Draco do this alone, at least initially.  Despite his mother’s apparent confidence, Draco wasn’t changing his mind about this and just hoped Harry was still on board with the plan.</p><p>“When will you be back?” Harry looked despondent but resigned.  Draco sighed in relief that Harry hadn’t decided to put up another fight at the last minute.</p><p>“I’ll be back this evening, love.  For dinner.  I won’t stay away a second longer than necessary.” Draco stared straight into the deep green eyes as he said this, trying to convey every ounce of love he felt.  The truth was Draco didn’t want to be parted from Harry either.  Although their six months together had helped, both of them still lived with the fear of being caught and separated.  “You and Blaise can hang out for the day.” He added, a little grudgingly.</p><p>“I’m sure I can keep Harry here entertained and not missing you too much.”  Blaise teased.  Draco rolled his eyes.  One of these day’s he was going to make Blaise regret teasing him by flirting with Harry.  For now though, it was enough that Blaise’s antics appeared to have brightened Harry’s mood.  He was at least smiling again.</p><p>“Be good Blaise.  Harry, I’ll be back soon.” Draco stood pulled Harry into a tight hug, whispering in his ear ‘I love you.’  Letting go of the embrace he gave Harry a quick kiss.  “Mother, are you ready to go now?”</p><p> </p><p>______________________________</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Draco still didn’t like being in the Manor, but he’d gotten used to it.  He remembered the wreck he’d been when he’d come back here after his trial.  Harry had helped him get through that.  If he hadn’t Draco wasn’t sure whether he’d be alive today.  Filling his home with new memories and redecorating had cleansed much of the darkness and triggers from his home, but it still wasn’t a place he wanted to spend much time.  He’d called the solicitors as soon as they’d arrived and managed to set up an appointment for early that afternoon.  Malfoy gold still held a significant amount of sway in some circles, despite their tattered reputation.  There were still a few hours to kill though and didn’t know what to do with himself.  Mother had disappeared into the house somewhere.  He didn’t particularly fancy just wondering around until he found her, just for the sake of company, although he knew she wouldn’t mind.  Instead, he decided to go to the library.  It had been his safe place once, maybe he could sit and read until it was time for his meeting.  He hadn’t been back there since before Harry’s wedding, it brought up too many memories of their times there together.  When he’d cut himself off from Harry he’d shut the place up, not able to face the happy memories in the same way he hadn’t been able to face the darkness of the rest of the house before Harry had saved him. </p><p>The library was bright, the curtains pulled back, just how Harry always insisted they should be.  The chess board, they used to play on, was still there, a half-finished game sat waiting.  He wondered around, thinking fondly back to his time in here with Harry.   After a short while he started browsing the shelves, looking for some book that would his fancy.  It was when he was right at the back of the library that he found something.  It wasn’t a book, but a tapestry he’d all but forgotten was here.  Silver thread linked together all the members of his family going back generations.  Draco traced the lines with his finger.  Some of the names filled him with disgust, other’s like his father’s, just made him sad.  Right down at the bottom he could see his own name.  Across from his name, branching down from his mother’s sister, was Nymphadora Lupin (née Tonks).  Being hidden in the library, where no Death Eater entered, had saved this tapestry from having the names of the supposed blood traitors blasted off it, as he knew happened with a lot of old pure blood family trees.  He was glad this one had been protected.  Even so, whomever had kept the tapestry up to date hadn’t added the werewolf his cousin married to it, although her name had been updated with her marriage.  Nor had their son been added.  He remembered Harry’s longing to see Teddy.  The worry about sorting Harry’s finances and enjoying the last days of their holiday had temporarily pushed it out of his mind.  It was still something he wanted to try and do for Harry though.  Harry had given up everything to be with him and he wanted to find a way for Harry to not lose this part of his life.  He wasn’t sure whether it could be done but he could at least ask Mother about it.  Giving up his search for a book he wondered back out of the room and headed towards his mother’s favourite sitting room, hoping that’s where she would be.</p><p>“Mother.  Are you busy right now?”  She was sat drinking a cup of tea and reading the paper.</p><p>“Not particularly.  Is there something that you need?”</p><p>“I wanted to ask you about your sister.”</p><p>His mother tensed, and Draco wondered why.  He knew Andromeda was a touchy subject once, but he was fairly certain asking about her wouldn’t cause this reaction in his usually calm and composed mother.   “Why would you want to talk about her? She’s gone and although I shouldn’t be glad, she was my sister, I am.  She hurt you.”  Her expression showed her distaste and her body language radiated hate.  Draco realised his mother thought he’d meant Bellatrix. Draco shuddered at the thought of his mad aunt who had used to entertain herself by torturing people anytime she felt annoyed, or bored, or just because she felt like it.  Her nephew had been no exception.  He remembered his mother carrying him to his room, shaking and crying, more than once.  She’d rub his back whilst he threw up and help bathe the wounds left.  Draco didn’t want to think about that time.  It had taken him years to deal with the trauma of being tortured in his own house.  He used to get trapped in his head imagining her, or one of the other death eaters hiding round every corner, waiting to drag him back into the hell of the last year of the war.  Harry had helped him slowly crawl out of that dark space and eventually seek professional help. </p><p>“No, not her.” Draco managed to say, eyes closed and hands shaking slightly.  When he opened them, he saw his mother visibly relax.  He wanted move on as soon as possible from the subject that neither him nor his mother wanted to think about, let alone discuss.  He hadn’t meant to bring up Bellatrix at all. “No, I wanted to talk about your other sister, Andromeda.  I wanted to know whether you had had any contact with her recently.”</p><p>“I didn’t realise you knew about her.  We’ve sent a few owls over the last year or so, but I haven’t seen her.  Our relationship was rather strained for such a long time.”  Draco almost laughed at his mother’s decidedly mild description of the complete ostracization of Andromeda from the family.  “Is there any particular reason you’re asking about her?”</p><p>“Well, Harry mentioned her and that he’s godfather to her grandson.  She has primary custody of him.”</p><p>“I knew she was looking after her daughter’s child, but I didn’t realise Harry was his godfather.”</p><p>“Yes.  Well, I was wondering whether it might be possible for Harry to have some kind of contact.  I think he misses the child even more than his friends.  I know it would be a risk, but I thought we could at least investigate.  Maybe if you and Andromeda reconnect properly, we might be able to get some photos of him growing up, even if Harry can’t see him.  Harry told me that they keep to themselves and are unlikely to come in contact with the Weasleys.  And you and Andromeda spending time together again is hardly going raise suspicions that you’re in contact with Harry.”</p><p>“I suppose not.  I can write to her an ask to see her again if that’s what you want.”</p><p>“It is.  I also thought, that maybe if Harry agrees and you feel Andromeda will be discreet, maybe Harry might even be able to continue to see his godson.  I don’t want to get Harry’s hopes up though before we know whether this is a real possibility.”</p><p>“You really love him, don’t you?” It was rare for his mother to ask him about his feelings like this.  The war had driven a wedge in their relationship.  When he was a child Draco had told his mother everything, but after the Dark Lord had returned Draco hadn’t felt able to talk to anyone about his feelings, instead he just shut them away and pretended they weren’t there.  It didn’t help that he felt betrayed that she hadn’t been able to do more to protect him.  Yes she bathed his wounds and he knew why she couldn’t stand up to the evil in the house, it was the same reason he didn’t.  But some part of him thought that if she loved him enough, she wouldn’t have let them get into this mess.  After the war his mother hadn’t wanted to face England and the shame of being a Malfoy.  She had left the country.  Eventually Draco realised part of the reason for her running had also been because of her own guilt over what she’d allowed him to go through.  That didn’t change the fact that she had left Draco trapped in this house.  When she had returned, they had slowly rebuilt their relationship.  It wasn’t perfect, but he loved his mother.  When he ran to her with Harry, she hadn’t questioned their plans for a second.  She’d helped the two of them escape.  Maybe escaping England and his life here would help rebuild the final broken bridges between him and his mother too.  He hoped so.</p><p>“Yeah I do.”  Draco admitted, relishing in the simple joy of letting his mother in on his feelings for the first time in years.</p><p> </p><p>___________________</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure you’re okay heading back to England, Harry?” Draco asked, feeling nervous.  It had been a week since he’d first met with the solicitors.  After the initial contact with Draco, they’d been able manage everything remotely until this point, but in order to complete the final steps they had to meet Harry in person.  Several contracts had been drawn up in order to ensure secrecy, but it was still a source of anxiety for both of them.  There was also the plan he and his mother had come up with to try and allow Harry to still play a part in Teddy’s life.  That would be a bigger risk than the visit to the solicitors, but Draco was fairly certain that it could be done. </p><p>“I’m fine, love.  I need to do this.  Besides, you’ll be with me.”  Harry replied and kissed Draco lightly.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It felt weird walking through the streets of London.  They both had strong glamours on to ensure people wouldn’t recognise that Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were walking through Covent Garden, less than a five-minute walk from the hustle and bustle of the centre of wizarding London in Diagon alley.  Luckily, they didn’t have to go there as the offices they were heading for were on the Strand.  Still it was strange to be so close to people who could potentially recognise them.</p><p> </p><p>“Mr Malfoy, a pleasure to see you again.” The very proper looking older women sat behind the desk said as the two of them entered the room and Draco dropped his glamour.  Harry still kept his firmly in place.  “And I assume this is the person whom we have discussed at length.”  She continued.</p><p>Draco looked over at Harry who was fidgeting nervously.  “Yes, it is.  Can I confirm again that all of the protocols are in place to protect his identity?”</p><p>“Of course Mr Malfoy.  We pride ourselves on our discretion here, but if you want to go through them one more time.”</p><p>“That won’t be necessary.” Draco said, and took one of Harry’s hand’s in his. “It’s okay, love.  We can trust them.” He said quietly just to Harry.  Harry squeezed his hand and dropped the glamours.</p><p>“Mr Potter.” The woman said, nodding once but making no indication that Harry Potter sitting in her office was in any way out of the ordinary.  “We need you to sign several of these documents in order to confirm your magical signature for the goblins so that they can approve the changes to your financial arrangements.”  Draco was pleased she kept things professional. </p><p>It took no more than ten minutes for Harry to read through and sign each of the documents that cut Ginny from his accounts.  He’d also transferred a significant amount of gold to the joint account that she would now have sole access too.  Harry had felt he needed to do something to make up for how appallingly he had treated her, was still treating her.  Money may not have been much, but it was all he could do.</p><p>“Perfect.  The goblins should have this confirmed within the hour and send out owls to the affected party.  Now I believe there is also the property number 12 Grimmauld Place.  Mr Malfoy had indicated that you wish to change the ownership of the property.”</p><p>“Yes,” Harry answered.  “I want to give it to my godson, Edward Lupin, to be held in trust by myself until he comes of age.”  Draco could tell that Harry was nervous, his speech and voice had become more formal than usual where he was trying to hide his stress.</p><p>“I have all the paperwork ready here.”</p><p>“I have one question.  When I do this, will the wards reset preventing those who previously had access to the property from entering?”  This had been a major concern for the two of them.  Although Harry had said he didn’t want to go back to Grimmauld, there were personal items that should still be there, that he wanted.  He knew Harry could have entered the property and changed the wards manually, but it was a slow process and risked being found.  This way the wards would reset instantly.  It would mean Draco and Harry could go to Grimmauld for one last time.  Draco knew it would be hard on Harry, it would be hard on him too, but he wasn’t going to deny him the chance to collect the few things his parents had left him.</p><p>“That is correct.  Once you sign these the only person who will be able to enter will be yourself and anyone you bring in with you.  You will not be able to change the wards to allow direct access by anyone else.  Once Master Lupin receives the property, he will gain control of the wards.”</p><p>“And any personal items in the house?”</p><p>“You should be able to collect them at any point.  This contract is for the property itself and not the contents.”</p><p>“Good.”  Harry replied and signed the piece of paper.</p><p>“We shall send this to Master Lupin’s guardian straight away.”</p><p>“Actually,” Draco interrupted. “If it’s okay with Harry, I’d like to deliver this in person.”</p><p>“Draco?”  Harry looked puzzled.</p><p>“I thought I’d go see my Aunt.  My mother has been in contact with her over the last few months, and more so in the last week.  I would like to invite her and Teddy to the Manor this week.”  Harry’s eyes widened as he understood what Draco was telling him.</p><p>“I think I’d like Draco to take the documents directly.”  Harry said to the prim woman, unable to supress the grin that was now lighting up his face.</p><p>“Very well, I shall just make the necessary copies.” She replied, politely ignoring the change in demeanour in Harry.  She waved her wand, duplicating all of the documents Harry had just signed.  “It has been a pleasure doing business with you, Mr Potter, Mr Malfoy.  I hope that you will think of us if you ever require any other services.”</p><p> </p><p>They walked out onto the street, disguises back in place.</p><p>“Do you want to get lunch somewhere?”  Draco asked Harry.</p><p>“Sure.  Sounds good.”</p><p>They walked back to Covent Garden and found a small café.  They sat and talked whilst waiting for their food to arrive.</p><p>“I can’t believe it’s done.” Harry said.</p><p>“After today we don’t have to ever set foot back in England, if you don’t want to.”</p><p>“And are you really going to see if Andromeda will bring Teddy to the Manor today.  Do you think we can trust her?”</p><p>“Mother thinks we can.  Andromeda seems to live a quite isolated life, with very little to do with others in the magical community.”</p><p>“So I might be able to see Teddy?”  Harry’s smile was infectious, and Draco found himself grinning too.  The risk of being found was worth it to bring this kind of happiness to the man he loved.</p><p>“Yes,”</p><p>“You know I love you, right.”  Harry said and pulled Draco into a kiss, not caring about the crowds of people outside and the other customers who could see them.</p><p>Draco pushed him off, shaking his head. “I know you love me.  You don’t need to kiss me in front of half of London to prove it.”</p><p>Harry pouted, “I like being able to kiss you like this in public, even if no one knows it’s us.  Besides, you love me too.”</p><p>“Of course I love you, you prat.  And I know all about your exhibitionist streak.  I spent 6 months dealing with you publicly pawing at me across half the globe.  It feels different in England though.  I keep expecting someone to come over recognise us.”</p><p>“I know.  Doesn’t stop me wanting to show the world how I feel about you though.  Even if it’s a glamoured face.  Anyway, I think our food is coming.”</p><p>Draco looked up to see the waitress walking towards them with their order.  Before she reached them, he felt Harry tense up next to him, his hand almost painfully clenching Draco’s knee.  He anxiously turned back towards Harry, knowing that something was seriously wrong.</p><p>“What is it?”  Draco whispered.  It wasn’t necessary, the muffliato was still around their table from when they sat down, but the tension and anxiety radiating from Harry made him feel the need to stay quiet.</p><p>“Bill and Fleur Weasley just entered.”  Harry said in equally hushed tones.</p><p>“Are you serious?”</p><p>“Yes”</p><p>This was what both he and Harry were dreading.  Their glamours were strong, but there was always a chance that someone who knew them well would be able to see through them.</p><p>“We need to leave without drawing attention to ourselves.” Draco was trying to keep himself calm and think rationally.  “Can you see what they’re doing?  I don’t want to turn and look.”</p><p>“Ordering food.” Harry said.</p><p>“So they don’t know we’re here yet.”</p><p>“It doesn’t appear so.”</p><p>“We should still leave though, quickly.  I’m going to walk up to the counter and pay our bill.  You tell the waitress that something’s come up and ask her for some takeaway containers.  It would look odd if we just abandoned our food.”</p><p>“Okay.” Harry said and squeezed Draco’s hand once as he stood up.</p><p>“It’s going to be alright, Harry.”</p><p> </p><p>Despite his reassurances to Harry, Draco had had to fight every urge in him not to just grab Harry by the hand and disapparate straight out of there.  He knew that would be stupid though.  One, it would definitely arouse the eldest Weasley brother’s suspicions that something was up if two men, calmly sat eating in the café they just entered, disapparated with no concern for the huge number of muggles around them.  Two, breaching the statute of secrecy like that would no doubt result in someone from the DMLE investigating, which would almost inevitably lead to someone knowing they were here, even if they weren’t caught.  He managed to keep his cool, though his heart felt like it was going to pound out of his chest.  He calmly walked up to the counter and asked for the bill, saying that they’d just been urgently called away.  He could hear Fleur and the eldest Weasley chatting inconsequentially from the table that they sat at whilst he waited.  They hadn’t noticed him.  His was the glamour most likely to hold if they did look up at him, and even if it didn’t, his presence was unlikely to result in them doing anything, other than look down at him with the derision almost all the magical world did.  The problem would be if they spotted Harry.  Noticing him may cause them to watch him as he left and Harry’s glamour was much less likely to hold.  They knew him too well.  Draco’s hands were shaking as he got back to the table.  Harry had packed their food into little boxes.  He took Harry’s hand, as much for his own reassurance than anything else.  They walked rapidly and in silence away from Covent Garden. </p><p>“Fuck that was close.”  Harry exclaimed, when they’d reached Holborn.</p><p>“I think I hate being back in England.”  Draco sighed and pulled Harry in close to him.</p><p>“Me too.  I feel like any second someone’s going to see us and shout that Harry Potter is walking down the street with Draco Malfoy.  That they’ll drag us off and keep us apart.”</p><p>“I won’t let that happen.”  Draco said determinately.  He knew if it came to it, he would do what his instincts had told him to do back in the café.  He would grab Harry and, statute of secrecy be damned, they would apparate away.  “I think we should keep moving.  I’m sure they didn’t see us and can’t be following us, but I want to be done with England.  I want to go home.”</p><p>“Well you need to go see your Aunt, and I need to go back to Grimmauld and pick some stuff up.  If we separate it will go quicker.”  Draco could hear the hesitation as Harry said this though.  Separating right now would fray both of their nerves too far.</p><p>“Going to my Aunt’s can wait.  If you’re going back there, I’m going with you.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They walked to Islington.  Is wasn’t far and travelling without magic meant that they were less likely to be accidentally traced.  Harry tried to persuade Draco to take the tube.  Draco hated the underground tunnels though.  They made him feel claustrophobic and trapped.  When they were a few streets away from Grimmauld place, they’d cast disillusionment charms on themselves, ensuring that no one would spot anyone entering the house.  If they could avoid it, they didn’t want anyone to know that Harry Potter had come home.  Harry opened the door and the two of them walked in.  The place was dusty.  Clearly no one had been here in a few months, which Draco took as a good sign.  Draco stood in the living room and waited whilst Harry grabbed what he needed, they wanted to be out of here as quickly as possible.  A crack from outside made Draco jump.  </p><p>“Harry!” Draco called, starting to panic.  He recognised that noise.  Someone had apparated nearby.  There was only one reason for anyone to apparate here today.  Someone knew they were in here.  “Harry you need to be done, now.  I think someone knows we’re here.”  Draco shouted up the stairs.</p><p>“Are you sure?” Harry had just walked out of one of the rooms and was stood at the top of the stairs.</p><p>“I heard someone apparate.” </p><p>“How did they know?” Draco was relieved that Harry appeared to grasp what was happening rapidly.  He was already running down the stairs as he said this.</p><p>“Would one of your friends put a trace on the house?”</p><p>“Hermione. Shit.  I should of thought of it.  We need to find it before we leave.  It needs to be destroyed.  They probably know I’m in here, but they won’t know that you’re with me.  If we leave that device there is a chance they can use if to trace magical signatures.  I forgot she could do that.”</p><p>“What the fuck am I looking for?” </p><p>“It’ll be in the living room.  I sure.  It’s the only room with an incoming floo.  If I know Hermione that’s where it will be.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>___________________</p><p> </p><p>Hermione was shocked when the coin in her pocket buzzed.  She was at home by herself.  After Ginny had received the papers from the bank she’d shut down, not even able to cry.  Ron and Molly were trying to comfort her.  Hermione couldn’t believe that Harry had just shut Ginny out of his life like that.  There hadn’t even been a note.  Just the official documents.  Besides, she still didn’t have Ron’s conviction that Harry had run away completely voluntarily.  Hermione was sure that something must have happened.  She had accepted that he’d run out on Ginny.  That made sense, although why he hadn’t just been honest about the whole situation was still a mystery.  There was no denying he’d been having a long-term affair for almost the entire length of their relationship.  But to leave without a word and not even send a letter to let her and Ron know he was okay didn’t sit right with her.  He had been her best friend since school.  They had spent months alone together on the run after Ron left.  He knew what that had done to her.  The Harry she knew back then would never have abandoned his friends like this.  That was why she had set up the sensor in Grimmauld place.  If anyone entered the property she would know.  It also took magical signature readings, so she could confirm who was there.  Maybe whoever had manipulated Harry into leaving would be stupid enough to set foot in the place and she’d be able to catch them.</p><p>She apparated to the square and made her way towards the house.  She should still be able to get into the property.  If they hadn’t yet left, she’d be able to catch them.  It came as a surprise when she couldn’t get up the steps.  The wards had been changed.  Only Harry had the ability to do that and it wasn’t a particularly quick process and could only be achieved from within the property.  Maybe it was just her bad luck that she was the first person he’d removed when he entered; although why Harry would come home and block her from the wards was beyond her.  Then it clicked.  Of course, the bank papers.  It wasn’t just his accounts that had been changed; something had been done to the property too.  They’d asked Bill and Fleur to head to the bank as soon as the papers had come through.  Hopefully, they could find out exactly what had happened, she’d have to ask them later to look into the property as well.  Well if she couldn’t get in and see whoever was in there, she’d just have to rely on her back up plan.  She got the coin out and looked at it.  Five more minutes and she’d have readings on who was in the house.  She waited impatiently as the seconds ticked down.  The coin started heating up in her hand.  That wasn’t supposed to happen.  It got hotter and hotter.  She dropped it, unable to hold on any longer.  As soon as it left her hand flames enveloped the coin, then she saw a serpent rise out of it and dive down before the fire vanished.  The coin was gone, just a blackened patch on the pavement remained.  She stood stunned, staring at the blackened patch.  She recognised fiendfyre.   The smell, heat and chasing demons were ingrained in her memory.  Whoever was in the house had been able to not only use but control one of the most destructive forces in existence.  She knew Harry would never have had the control to so precisely destroy her device that way.  Very few wizards even knew how to produce it at all.  She apparated back home with dark thoughts on her mind.  Harry had obviously gotten himself into serious trouble.  She couldn’t think of any other explanation.  The problem was there were still no leads.  There was nothing to research.  Her friend was gone, and she felt lost.</p><p> </p><p>______________________</p><p> </p><p>“Draco, what was that?”  Harry asked as they stumbled out of the floo at the Manor.  As soon as the device was destroyed they had flooed straight from Grimmauld to the Manor.  It was a risk, but as the only people who could get in the house were Harry and Teddy, and being a toddler, Teddy posed no threat, they decided to risk it.  No one else would be able to trace the floo journey with the protections over the house.</p><p>“Ummm….Well when you said that you thought there was a secondary device attached to the one we found, I could only think of one way to destroy both of them quickly.”</p><p>“It looked like fiendfyre.”</p><p>“It was.” Draco said, scared that the admission would cause Harry to turn from him.  It was an evil spell, its only purpose destruction.  It had nearly killed both of them back at Hogwarts.  He wouldn’t blame Harry if he turned on Draco in disgust.  When Draco forced himself to look up there was no sign of abhorrence Draco felt he deserved, instead Harry was looking at him in wide eyed amazement.</p><p>“How did you control it?”</p><p>This was an admission that Draco didn’t want to make, but something in Harry’s love filled eyes made it impossible for him to keep it secret. “My therapist thought that the best way for me to deal with my fear of fire was to confront it.  I don’t think she meant me to actually learn to cast the spell that nearly killed me.  During those last 6 months I worked on it.  I know it was reckless, but I wasn’t exactly in a good place then and couldn’t bring myself to care.  I just needed control over something when it felt like everything else was falling apart.” Neither of them like bringing up their 6-month separation or anything that happened during that time.  It always led to one or other of them feeling guilty about what had happened between them.  It couldn’t be avoided right now though.</p><p>“I’m so sorry, love.  I should have been there with you.” Harry’s face was full of regret and sorrow and Draco hated that he caused these feelings in the man he loved.</p><p>“I’m the one who kept you away.  I should have listened to when you said to run that day, instead of both of us going through those extra months, only to run anyway. You have nothing to apologise for.  We’ve been over this before and digging it up doesn’t help either of us.”  </p><p>“Doesn’t change the fact that I am sorry.”</p><p>Draco couldn’t stand seeing Harry like this any longer.  He needed to comfort him.  To take away the stress of the day and the regrets they both had. “Come here.” Draco pulled Harry into a hug.  “We’re together now, aren’t we?  And at least all that practice came into good use.  They won’t find us that way.  No one will ever find us unless we want to be found.” He tried to soothe Harry, his hands playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.   “Are you sure I’m really worth all of this trouble?” Draco whispered into Harry’s hair.  Admitting his own anxiety and fear to let Harry know he wasn’t alone in this.</p><p>“You’re worth this and a thousand times more.”  Harry replied and pulled Draco’s face down towards him.  Their mouths met and they poured all of the highs, lows, and anxiety that had built up over the day into each other. </p><p> </p><p>_____________________</p><p> </p><p>Draco had left Harry at the Manor, not long after they’d managed to untangle themselves.  He still didn’t really want to leave Harry side but for this next trip Draco needed to be alone.  At least Harry was in the Manor, safe under the wards and with his Mother.  If it came to it Harry knew how to get back to Blaise’s place undetected, if needed.  Draco needed to judge for himself that Andromeda Tonks was trustworthy and would keep their secret.  He had discussed this visit with his mother several times, and it was her that decided to use the cover of the property deed to go and see her.  Teddy was the one person that Harry had left behind that he would run the risk of discovery for.  With everything they’d gone through together, Draco wouldn’t deny Harry this.  It wasn’t fair to deny Harry this chance of happiness.  He knocked on the door.  The close calls today were making Draco feel more on edge than he expected.  It felt like eyes everywhere were watching him.  Waiting to spring out and arrest him for kidnapping Harry Potter.  The door opened and the Aunt he’d never met before stood there.</p><p>“Mrs Tonks.  I’m here to come and give you papers and talk to you about a property that has just been signed over to your ward.”  Draco said formally.  His Aunt looked at him puzzled, before a flicker of recognition crossed her features.</p><p>“Draco?”  His Aunt asked, “Narcissa’s son?”</p><p>“Yes.  How did you know it was me?  We’ve never met.” Draco hadn’t been expecting this on the doorstep.  He’d hoped to get inside before he told her who he was.  No escaping it now though, he just needed to continue on.  It wasn’t the end of the world.</p><p>“You think I wouldn’t recognise my own family. What are you doing here?”</p><p>“I said.  I’m here about a property that has been transferred to your grandson, Edward Lupin.” Draco carefully looked down at the papers in he was holding as he said Teddy’s name, trying to give the impression he was reading it.</p><p>“Don’t those sorts of things normally just come by owl?”  His Aunt sounded suspicious.   </p><p>This wasn’t how this was supposed to go, and Draco was unsure of exactly how to answer her.  The only thing he could think of was to bring up his mother.  He had planned to mention her and the invitation, but not this soon. “Well, yes.  But mother said you were in contact again and I thought this would be a good excuse to come and see you in person.  I wanted to come and extend you an invitation to the Manor for dinner this evening.”</p><p>“You’re not telling me everything.” </p><p>Draco was now feeling flustered, and decidedly stupid for not having predicted this.  Andromeda was a Black, and she was shrewd.  He just had to keep calm.  Use every ounce of decorum, he’d had pounded into him as a small child.  Put on the cool façade that had kept him alive with the monster in his house. At the same time he needed her to be curious enough to actually let him in the house.  “I know.  There is something else.  But we can’t discuss it on the doorstep.  May I come in?”  He tried to express with every ounce of body language he could muster that this was important.  For several long moments Draco thought she would refuse him.  He sighed with relief when she stepped back and indicated that he should enter.  He followed her through to a comfortable looking sitting room.</p><p>“Now we’re inside are you going to explain now exactly why you’re here?” His Aunt didn’t beat around the bush, but now he was inside, that was all the better for him.  He wasn’t here to make small talk.</p><p>“Yes.  Do you mind if I cast some privacy charms?  Or you can.  But, well, it’s a very delicate situation.  I need you to swear that what I say here doesn’t leave this room.  Please be aware that this is not for my sake but for the person I’m here representing.”</p><p>She looked at him curiously, he felt her eyes bore into him and he was reminded of Legilimency lessons with Aunt Bella.  The slam of memories almost made him throw up, but Draco managed to hold himself together.  He thought she may have noticed something off with him for a second but then she closed her eyes and sighed.  Clearly, she’d come to some sort of resolution.  To his relief the older woman took out her wand and cast a series of spells, familiar to Draco that prevented anyone over hearing them speak.  Then she held out her wand to face him and waited.  He took out his in turn and they made the oath.  It wasn’t quite an unbreakable vow, but it was similar.  What was spoken in this room would remain secret.</p><p>“I’ve made your oath.  Now, tell me.”</p><p>Rather than speaking Draco took the paperwork out of the inside pocket of his robes and handed the official documents over.  He watched her carefully as she read through the contents of the envelope. </p><p>“Does this mean what I think it means?” she asked after she’d finished.</p><p>“What do you think it means?”</p><p>“I think it means that you have had some kind of contact with my Grandson’s godfather.”</p><p>“That’s correct.”</p><p>“But…. how?  This is official paperwork, and I recognise the solicitors seal.  That firm has been working with the Malfoy and Black families for generations.  I know you don’t work for them.  How did you end up delivering these documents?  How did Harry find out about this particular firm?  He’s been in contact with no one for 6 months now.  I wasn’t even sure he was alive.  The papers spent weeks speculating about what happened.  I had aurors at my door multiple times asking whether I’d seen him.”</p><p>“I’m sorry about that.” </p><p>“Why are you sorry?  It’s Harry that disappeared.  Unless you were somehow involved in what happened?”</p><p>“It’s a long story and I don’t want to explain all of this here.  It’s not my story to tell.” It was a half-truth, but all he felt comfortable with at the moment.  “Please come to the Manor for dinner this evening.  Bring your grandson too.  I’m sure Mother wants to meet him.”  She didn’t look sure.  He had to do something to stop her refusing.  This was for Harry.  Still without blurting everything out, which he wouldn’t do here, despite all of the precautions he didn’t know what else to do to persuade her.  A thought struck him. “Aunt Andromeda.  You probably know better than anyone why someone might want to run and leave their family behind.  Please trust me.  My family wants to reconnect with you.  We want you and Teddy to be part of our family.”</p><p>“How did you know my Grandson’s name was Teddy?”</p><p>Draco sighed in relief.  He knew he’d slipped up using the name Harry always called his Godson, one that Draco shouldn’t by all rights have known.  He didn’t care though.  Teddy’s name seemed to have been the magic word.  He could see in her face that she would come.  That she would bring Teddy.  That it was all going to be all right.  Knowing she was coming made him brave.  Draco gave his Aunt Andromeda one more piece of information.  It couldn’t do any harm now.  There was no way she hadn’t guessed from their conversation exactly who he was asking her to come and visit at the Manor that evening.  She’d trusted him enough to allow the oath, now it was his turn to trust her. </p><p>“Because that’s what he calls him.”</p><p>“We’ll come.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Beginnings of Family</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Andi comes to the Manor</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So this is a short chapter.  I originally had planned a much longer section here, covering several years in hiding, but I'm struggling to write it and it's not greatly important to the overall story. So instead there is just this glimpse of the first meeting between Teddy, Andi, Harry, Draco and Narcissa.   At some point I might decide to try and write about the years in hiding again and the relationships Harry and Draco develop with their family and the friends they make.  There will be a large time skip when I eventually sort the next chapter, which is mostly written, but is currently very rough.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“She really said she was coming?”  Harry was pacing the room in his agitation.</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“And she said she was bringing Teddy?”</p><p>“It seems likely that she will.”</p><p>“Fuck.  Why am I so nervous?”</p><p>“You’re allowed to be nervous.  Now please stop pacing you’re making me dizzy.  Come sit with me.”</p><p>Harry slumped next to Draco on the couch and let him stroke his hair until Harry finally started to relax.</p><p>“Do you think he’ll remember me?” Harry whispered, voicing his fears.</p><p>“I don’t know” Draco answered honestly.  “I don’t know how much kids of his age remember.  But even if he doesn’t, he’ll get to know you all over again and he’ll love you.”</p><p>“Are you sure?” </p><p>“I’m sure.  What child wouldn’t love you?  We’ll take him on wonderful holidays.  Spoil him rotten.  We are going to help my Aunt give him the best childhood.”</p><p>“I love you.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When Andromeda and Teddy arrived, Draco, Harry and Narcissa were all sitting out in the garden, enjoying the evening sun.  One of the house elves was cooking on the barbeque and several others were setting out a table with far too much food for just the four adults and a toddler.  Andromeda looked at the scene in surprise.  She thought back to the last time she’d seen Harry.  He’d looked sick, skin grey, far too thin, and obviously depressed.  She’d tried to get him to talk about it at the time, but he’d never let her.  He hadn’t let anyone in.  No one had known what was really going through his head at that time.  The Harry she could see now looked tanned and healthy.  He was talking easily with Narcissa, who was sat at the table.  This was something she never thought she’d see.  Harry was leaning back on a picnic blanket on the floor, completely relaxed in the Malfoys’ presence.  Draco was next to him and their hands appeared to be entwined.  Everything that Draco had said and the way he acted slotted together.  That they were in a relationship was clear, and by the easy way they behaved around each other, and her sister, this wasn’t a new development.  That Harry had run off with Draco was obvious.  It was also an easy assumption that Draco had something to do with Harry’s depression in the months running up to his disappearance.  She was disappointed that he hadn’t told her though.  She would have understood.  She knew the prejudice that the Malfoys faced.  She faced some herself too, despite the fact that both her husband and daughter had died fighting in the war.  Being related to Bella was enough for people to distrust her.  It’s why she kept to herself most of the time.    With Teddy on her hip she walked towards the happy scene.</p><p>“Harry, it’s been a while.”</p><p>“Andi!” Harry jumped up in surprise.  He hadn’t noticed her approaching.  Teddy hid his face in her shoulder, shy and nervous around the strangers.</p><p>“It’s okay Teddy, this is Harry.  You remember Harry right.” She comforted the toddler.</p><p>“Harry?” Teddy said in his babyish voice and turned to look straight at his godfather.  He looked confused at first then a wide grin spread across his face and his eyes changed to green and his hair to match Harry’s dark mess.  He reached his arms out to his godfather.  Harry’s delighted expression matched the toddlers as he took him from Andromeda and twirled around with him holding him in the air. </p><p>Leaving Teddy and Harry playing she took a seat next to her sister.  Draco got up from the floor and joined them.</p><p>“I think you have a lot of explaining to do.”  Andromeda sighed, turning to Draco.</p><p>“I know.  We really are sorry for how we had to go about this.” Draco looked embarrassed.</p><p>“I had guessed Harry was here from what you said earlier, but I wasn’t quite expecting this.  How long have you been together?”</p><p>Draco sighed.  “We got together about 2 months after the end of the war.”</p><p>Andromeda sat there in stunned silence at the revelation.  That it had been going on before Harry had married was a surprise.  It was a complete shock that Harry and Draco had been together that long. </p><p>Narcissa spoke up. “I know Andi.  They both know how I feel about I what they did but it can’t be helped now.  I’m sure you’re thinking the exact same things as I did when they told me.  At least you aren’t also having them beg you to help hide them.  They were stupid and selfish, but I can’t really blame them for some of it.”</p><p>“But didn’t Harry and Ginevra get back together about 6 months after the war finished.” </p><p>The look of shame in Draco’s eyes told her all she needed to know.</p><p>“The whole time they were together?”</p><p>Draco nodded.</p><p>“You stupid boys.”</p><p>“I think I used the exact same sentiment.”  Narcissa said shaking her head.  “Harry, I think you should be here for this too.” Narcissa called over to the man still playing happily with the toddler.  Harry carried the little boy to the table and put him in the highchair next to Andromeda.  One of the house elves put some food in front of him and Teddy started eating happily, if messily. </p><p>“The two of you are going to tell me everything.” Andromeda said firmly and proceeded to listen to the whole mess they’d managed to make.  At some point during the story Teddy started fussing and Harry took him out of the highchair and held him on his lap until he fell asleep.  Neither him nor Draco held anything back.  Harry needed Andromeda to forgive him and trust him again.  The only way to do that was to be completely honest. </p><p> </p><p>“Draco tried to break it off just before I got married.  We’d tried before to stop, but this time he cut all ways of communication off.” Harry finished.  Andromeda was pleased to see he looked ashamed by what the two of them had done.  Draco did too.</p><p>“But you were miserable.  Anyone who saw you after your wedding could see that.  I just don’t get why you went ahead and married her at all.”</p><p>“I didn’t think I had any other choice.” Harry admitted. “Everyone told me that that’s what I was supposed to do.  Draco had left me.  What else was I supposed to do?”</p><p>“Probably not been with her at all in the first place.”  Andromeda said, causing Harry to squirm uneasily in his seat.  Both him and Draco deserved to be uncomfortable given what they’d put everyone around them through by leaving.  Not counting the years of deceit and using the Weasley girl so appallingly.  She sighed, it was still a little beyond belief how Draco and Harry had behaved but listening to them she could see how it had happened.  That no one had noticed was particularly telling.  Everyone had had certain expectations of Harry after the war.  Everyone had seen what they wanted to and ignored the fact that Harry was miserable with much of his life.  She’d only noticed in those last few months, but it had been going on for years.  It was only thinking back, knowing what she now knew, that she could see it.  The disinterest in things he used to love.  The avoidance of his friends and family.  From the brief glimpses they’d given into the start of their relationship, Draco seemed to have been even worse.  Suffering from a PTSD, along with a severe depression.  The two boys had helped each other and fallen in love.  They knew that not only would people not accept it but would actively try to break them apart.  “I guess we can’t change any of that now.  I think I can work out the rest.  Draco contacted you just before he was supposed to marry the Greengrass girl and the two of you ran away.”</p><p>“Pretty much.  Blaise and Mother helped us, and we’ve spent the last 6 months on an extended holiday touring the world.” Draco concluded.</p><p>“Leaving everyone back at home not knowing whether you were even alive, Harry.”</p><p>“I’m really sorry.  We just didn’t know what else to do.”  Harry answered.</p><p>“I know, Harry.  I’m just sorry that you didn’t think you could come to me.  I would have understood.  Draco reminded me earlier that I did something very similar when I ran off with Ted.”  Her own experience and feelings of empathy were helping her to understand and forgive the young men their foolishness.  “I think I need to get that little boy home to bed now.  I want to see you again though.  And soon.   I missed you Harry, and Teddy did too.  I’m looking forward to getting to know you better Draco.  I just wish it hadn’t taken this for you to get in contact with me.”</p><p>“Will you… please don’t tell anyone else about where I am.  I don’t think anyone else would understand.”  Harry begged</p><p> “I’m sure your friends would forgive you eventually. But I get why you don’t want to tell them.  I may not like it, but I will keep your secret.  Just promise me you won’t go vanishing me again.  Or Teddy.  I don’t think I’d forgive you if you disappointed him again.”</p><p>Harry grinned and passed Teddy over to Draco.  Her nephew looked bemused to be holding the baby, especially when the toddler’s hair changed to match the white blonde of the young Malfoy.  Harry got up and walked round the table to her and wrapped his arms around her.</p><p>“Thank you, Andi.  You don’t know how much this means to me.  Me and Draco are leaving the country again tonight.  We’re living with Draco’s friend, at the moment but we’re looking for a place of our own.  As soon as we have somewhere you and Teddy will be welcome anytime.”</p><p>“Both me and Teddy would love that.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Getting Married</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Draco and Harry's wedding.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you want to read the series in strictly chronological order, the last chapter of One Last Mistake fits in immediately <br/>before this one, although with a small amount of overlap to the start of this story</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Never thought I’d be in club at yours and Draco’s bachelor party.”  Theo Nott loudly shouted over the din of music.  The club they’re in is a fashionable high end one in Rome.  Draco’s work on concealment spells and potions over their years in hiding have yielded dramatic improvements.  Tonight, not only are Draco and Harry wearing them, but the rest of their friends.  The risk of someone seeing through them are minimal, and to each other they all look like themselves.  Harry’s currently leant against the bar with Theo, watching his fiancée dance wildly with Blaise and Pansy.  He’s not sure where the rest of their little group are.</p><p>“If you’d told me that I’d be here with a bunch of Slytherins back in Hogwarts I would have thought you’d gone insane.”  Harry replied.</p><p>“I thought I had gone insane when Draco swore me and Tori to secrecy when he said he was bringing you to our wedding.”</p><p>“That was what, eight, nine years ago now.”</p><p>“We’ve got our ninth anniversary coming up in the Autumn.  You don’t know how grateful I am for you whisking Draco away from his marriage contract to Tori.”</p><p>“It was a mutual whisking away.  Could you imagine Draco being married to Tori? It would be a complete disaster.” Harry laughed.  “And you and her are perfect together.  Your wedding was beautiful. Hardly a dry in the house.  Everyone could tell how much in love the two of you were.  I just hope mine and Draco’s is the same.”</p><p>“It will be.” Blaise said, intruding on the conversation as he came off the dance floor, shirt sticking to him and slightly out of breath.</p><p>“You and Pans thinking about tying the knot anytime soon.” Harry joked.  Both Pansy and Blaise thought marriage was a ridiculous farce.  A piece of paper that didn’t mean anything.  Blaise laughed before punching Harry on the arm, rather harder than Harry appreciated.  “Ow.”</p><p>“Serves you right.  Me and Pans are perfectly happy with our unmarried bliss.  How’s the little one, Theo?”</p><p>“Teething.  I’m just glad her grandparents agreed to take her for the night.  Once you have kids it’s never the same.”</p><p>“Don’t I know it.” Harry said.  “Teddy is an absolute terror.”</p><p>“Teddy is 13 and at Hogwarts.  You don’t know horror until you’ve done all of the nappy changes and sleepless nights.” Theo snorted.</p><p>“Teenagers are worse.  And we may have only had Teddy half the time when he was little, but we still did our fair share of sleepless nights with him.  Though I don’t think Draco touched one dirty nappy.  You may not have been around, but Blaise can attest to the horror that was toddler Teddy.  Metamorphmagus babies are just trouble.”  Harry and Draco had looked after Teddy for large chunks of every year to give Andi a break, as soon as they’d settled down in their own place.  He was like their own child.  He even made his eyes match theirs most of the time, with a heterochromatic grey and green shining out of his happy face.  Both Harry and Draco loved Teddy as much as he loved and worshipped them.  They were family.</p><p>“I’ll tell him you said that Harry.”</p><p>“You wouldn’t Blaise.  You adore the pest just as much as the rest of us.  Even you were complaining back then, and you got to hand him off when he got cranky.”  Harry chastised.</p><p>“Fair point.” Blaise replied.</p><p>“He’ll be at the wedding tomorrow, right?  Wouldn’t want to miss the brat.”  Theo asked.  It wasn’t just Blaise that adored Harry and Draco’s surrogate son, all of their friends did.  Teddy had the ability to draw people to him.  He could wrap almost anyone he met around his little finger. </p><p>“Like he’d miss me and Draco getting married.  He’s already claimed at least three dances with Draco.”</p><p>“No dances with you, Harry.” Blaise knew that that Harry’s dancing had not improved since the Yule ball in fourth year, despite Draco’s insistence that he try to learn.  The only time Harry ever felt comfortable dancing was with Draco’s arms wrapped around him, where, even after all their years together, Draco could make him forget the rest of the world existed.</p><p>“I’m sure he’ll cajole me into at least one dance.  His poor toes probably won’t manage more than that.  You guys want another drink?”</p><p>“We should be the ones buying you a drink, Potter.  You’re the one getting hitched in the morning after all.”</p><p>Harry let both Blaise and Theo buy him a shot each, which he quickly necked one after the other.  He thought back to his previous bachelor party, back in London.  He’d been utterly miserable about what the next day would bring.  He’d been surrounded by people who he’d considered his friends and family but felt completely separated from it.  Here he was surrounded by those, who back then, he would never have thought would be his friends.  This group had accepted him and kept his secret.  To them it hadn’t mattered that he was Harry Potter and that they’d been rivals at school.  What mattered was that he made Draco happy.  Not a word had ever made the press about his whereabouts, despite the fact that he did not live the isolated life he’d expected when he’d run with Draco all those years ago.  They may have been Draco’s friends first, and their loyalty to him was what had kept them from spilling Harry’s location initially, but they were his friends too now.  Harry watched, enraptured, as a blonde man who’d changed his life, made his way off the dance floor towards him.</p><p>“Enjoying yourself, love.”  Draco said as his kissed him.  He was hot and sweaty, but Harry didn’t think he’d ever looked better.  Harry snaked a hand up the back of Draco’s shirt pulling him in tight.</p><p>“Of course I am.  Blaise and Theo are just trying to get me drunk.”</p><p>Draco scowled at the two men sat at the bar with Harry. “I want him in a fit state tomorrow.  I don’t want to walk into my wedding only to have my groom waiting for me half comatose.  And no taking advantage Blaise, I know what you’re like.” Draco narrowed his eyes at his best friend.  “The only bed Harry ends up in is mine.”  Over the years, Harry had gotten more used to the teasing and blunt flat sarcasm that spoke of deep understanding between them.  It may had sounded harsh, but it was just a different type of banter.  Harry hadn’t perfected it himself, and didn’t think he ever would, but he could at least mostly tell now when the Slytherins were joking with each other.</p><p>“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Theo protested, whilst Blaise said at the same time.  “But he’s so pretty.  I can’t believe you’d be selfish and keep him all to yourself.” Draco glared at Blaise and growled out “Zabini” in a low harsh tone.  Blaise quickly responded with the same statement Theo had given before dragging Theo away to find Pansy.  Annoying Draco by flirting with Harry was one of Blaise’s favourite tricks, though all of them knew it was just because he enjoyed riling Draco up.  He particularly liked to do it when Pansy was around too, much to Harry’s consternation and Pansy’s amusement.</p><p>“See that you don’t.”  Draco shouted after the fleeing man before he kissed Harry again.  “Dance with me?” He whispered against Harry’s lips.</p><p>“Are you not exhausted already?”  Dancing in clubs may be better than trying to waltz in front of people, but it still wasn’t Harry’s favourite activity, however much he enjoyed being pressed tight against Draco in the crowds.</p><p>“Not too tired for one dance with my fiancée.  It’ll be like we’re eighteen again in the clubs in Camden.  All the of the guys staring at your amazing arse and wanting you, whilst you only have eyes for me.  Then escaping when we couldn’t keep our hands off each other anymore, shedding clothes as we apparated back to the nearest bed.”  Draco said this whilst kissing Harry’s neck and jaw, one finger trailing down Harry’s spine and then skirting just under the waist band of his trousers. </p><p>“Turning me on isn’t helping your case, love.  It just makes me want to drag you home and have you naked in bed now.”  Draco looked at Harry, with pleading doe eyes, and Harry caved.  He couldn’t resist his soon to be husband, never could.  “Fine.”   Harry acquiesced, although he made sure his voice sounded sulky about it so Draco would know he was only agreeing grudgingly.  Draco grinned at Harry, he knew the sullen attitude was mostly put on, and grabbed his hands, dragging him out into the centre of the club.  And it was like they were back in their sneaking around days, all of their surroundings disappeared to Harry.  He had eyes only for Draco, who was just as beautiful at 30 as he’d been at 18.  Soon their friends all joined them, and Harry and the whole group of Slytherins were jumping up and down to the beat of the music.</p><p>___________________</p><p> </p><p>“Morning, love.” Harry yawned as he pulled the half-asleep man next to him tight into his arms.  His head hurt from the amount he’d drunk the night before.  “I feel slightly shit.  Did you put any hangover potions aside?  I’d rather like to not spend the day feeling like some has removed my brain, wrapped it round a lemon, and beaten it against a rock.”</p><p>“What a delightful picture.  Although a fairly accurate description of how I feel.  Blaise should not be allowed to start ordering shots.”</p><p>“He did end up having to carry a vomiting Greg back to his hotel room, so that’s probably enough punishment for him.  Besides, like we could have stopped him anyway.”  Blaise was a menace when it came to getting his friends drunk.  Harry had learnt that lesson the hard way more than once over the years.  He hadn’t expected his bachelor party to be any different.</p><p>“Why are we friends with him?” Draco groaned as he tried to shift in the bed, jostling his head, and causing his hangover to throb.</p><p>“Because he saved us from a life of misery back in England and without him, we probably wouldn’t be getting married today.”   Harry kissed Draco’s forehead.</p><p>“Oh yeah.  That.  Probably should be more grateful to have that twat in our lives.”</p><p>“He knows we love him.  Now where’s that hangover potion?  I want to spend the morning enjoying you in my bed rather than suffering together before your mother comes to drag us apart.”</p><p> </p><p>___________________</p><p> </p><p>Teddy was stood nervously by Harry’s side, rocking up on the balls of his feet in his excitement.  The teenager was Harry’s best man.  They were waiting for Draco.  Much to Harry’s regret, Narcissa hadn’t allowed the two of them to get ready together, she’d been appalled enough at the fact that they’d spent the night before their wedding in the same bed, but both he and Draco had insisted.  They’d barely spent a night apart in the last 11 years and were not going to start now, just because tradition dictated it.  Getting ready together had been too much for Narcissa though, and Draco had been all but dragged from their room by Blaise and his mother about five hours ago.  Harry didn’t know why it took five hours to get ready for a wedding, but he’d been unable to make a coherent argument at the time.  His brain had still been a little fuzzy from the mind-blowing blowjob he’d received.  He was infinitely grateful Cissa hadn’t walked in ten minutes earlier.  He didn’t think he could have coped with her walking in on that.  He guessed that was why Blaise had been there too, so he could walk in and check they weren’t doing anything inappropriate when Cissa entered.  Not that Harry wanted Blaise walking in on them, but it wasn’t like he hadn’t done it before.  Blaise had a habit of poor timing when it came to walking in on Harry and Draco in the middle of intimate situations.  He still claimed he’d been scarred for life after he’d walked into their back garden to find the couple naked on the sun-lounger, Draco’s tongue in Harry’s arse.  Harry still thought the time when he’d interrupted Harry massaging oil into Draco, whilst the blonde was teasing his own cock, on their bed was worse. At least Harry had been face down on the sun-lounger, somewhat limiting the view. </p><p>Draco had gone willingly enough with his mother and best man, apparently agreeing with the ridiculous schedule, which didn’t leave Harry with a leg to stand on.  Harry had eventually managed to get out of bed and into the shower.  He’d dressed himself in the grey dress robes that Draco had picked out and let Daphne and Tori fuss over his hair.  He had wondered where Pansy was, as she was usually the one to try and tame his bird’s nest whenever they went out anywhere he was expected to look at least half-way smart, but he’d guessed she was probably with Draco, faffing over his hair.  Draco could have turned up in his pyjamas with his hair mussed, like it was in the mornings, and Harry wouldn’t have cared.  It was important to Draco that they both look perfect for the wedding.  If that meant he had to spend five hours away from his fiancée, dress up in expensive clothes and have his hair fussed over, then that’s what Harry would do. Now he was stood here, with his Godson at his side, waiting impatiently for the man he loved to arrive at their wedding. </p><p>Harry looked around at the small number of guests.  The only people here were those that were in on the secret, his close family, and friends.  Most of Draco’s house elves were present too.  All in brand new, brightly coloured, and clashing pillowcases and tea towels.  The elves were part of Harry and Draco’s family too.  Harry wished Kreacher could have been here.  The old elf had died not long before Harry had left England and was buried in the garden at Grimmauld place.  Harry was sure Kreacher would have been happy about Draco and Harry’s wedding.  Not least because it would have meant a Black back in the family.  The whole event was a stark contrast to his last wedding.  There had been hundreds of guests at that event, as well as the press.  He’d felt uncomfortable the entire time.  Even his own misery hadn’t been enough to make him block out how on display he’d felt with every eye on him.  Standing and waiting for Ginny to come down the aisle was like being trapped in a room with the walls closing in on him. Now he just felt a nervous thrill of anticipation, waiting for his groom to come to him. </p><p>Draco entered the room and Harry felt his vision tunnel.  Nothing else mattered now except for the amazing man walking towards him.  Blaise was at his side as Draco made his way to the front, and Harry.  The way Draco held his eyes told him that he was the only other person in the universe right now.  Harry stepped away from the alter and moved towards the man he loved.  Drawn to him.  Unable to spend another second apart.  They walked the last few metres together.</p><p> </p><p>The ceremony was too fast and too slow at the same time.  Both Narcissa and Andi were in tears from the very start.  Even Greg looked like he was about to tear up as they said their vows.  Then Teddy was handing him a ring and he slipped it onto Draco’s hand.  Draco’s hands were shaking when he placed his own ring on Harry’s finger.  And it was over, and they were kissing.  Wrapped up in the love they felt for each other.  In everything they’d overcome to get to this place.  A small part of Harry wished that this had been his first wedding, that he’d been able to share this with the whole world.  That his old friends could have been there to share in his joy.  The larger part of him didn’t care.  The most important people to him now, were in this room, sharing in this perfect moment.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know nothing much really happens in this chapter.  It's just a small glimpse into Harry and Draco's life together.  The story actually moves on in the next chapter, which is actually written, but needs looking over a few more times.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Secrets always come out.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Its fifteen years after Harry left behind his life and family in England, and his 35th birthday is approaching.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry’s birthday was approaching.  It would be his 35<sup>th</sup>.  The sixteenth they’d spent with him gone, the first one happening only a few months after his disappearance.  He’d been 19 the last time Hermione had seen him.  Most of the time she could forget about her absent friend, but whenever his birthday came around, her thoughts would always stray to him.  She tried to picture what he would look like now but couldn’t.  Even picturing his face as it had been as a teenager was becoming harder each year that passed.  All she could see was the mess of black hair, that she was sure he’d still have.  She’d popped into London for the day to meet up with some old friends from University, leaving Rose and Hugo with their grandparents.  Over tea her friends gossiped about their lives.  She felt separate from it all.  She didn’t know why it was hitting her so hard this year.  When one of her companions announced she was pregnant again, Hermione wondered about whether Harry had kids yet.  When another announced her engagement, again it was Harry that came to mind, wondering whether he’d remarried after the divorce.  She excused herself early, saying she was feeling unwell, not able to cope with the bombardment of memories and speculation any longer.  She thought about going to see Ron at work but talking about Harry just made him cross, and that’s not what she wanted.  She wanted to go somewhere where she could just sit and remember him.  Think about the person he had been.  The friend who she missed. </p><p>Hermione’s feet hurt from walking to Islington.  It wasn’t that it was so far, but she wasn’t exactly wearing the best shoes for traipsing across London.  She turned the corner into Grimmauld place.  The little square in the middle was full of summer flowers and insects.  She remembered how dingy and horrible the house had been when she’d first seen it as the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.  Disused, neglected and filled with dark magic.  Even during their stay, during their time on the run, when it had almost been a home to them, it hadn’t exactly been a great place to live.  After the war Harry had eventually made it into a beautiful home, even if was one that held a secret.  The rooms had been light and airy, the garden covered in flowers.  She wondered what it looked like now, empty for all these years.  Would everything be covered in dust?  Would the flowers have died?  She was overcome with the wave of emotions.  It was all too much.  She sat down heavily on the bench opposite the house, where she thought her friend had been happy. </p><p>Eventually the worse of the overpouring memories passed and she felt able to stand again.  Coming here hadn’t been her greatest idea.  When she stands, Hermione notices her clothes have gotten themselves into a mess.  She them smooths out and brushes the dirt from the bench off her skirt.  At least if she looks respectable no one else will need to know her mind is in turmoil.  Then the door opening opposite startles her.  Someone is walking out of number 12.  They have scruffy black hair.  Hermione feels sick.  She sits back down suddenly as her legs give out and puts her head between her knees, to stop herself from passing out. </p><p>“Hey. You all right?”</p><p>Hermione looks up.  It’s the person who just walked out of number 12.  It’s a relief when she looks at them properly.  It’s definitely not Harry.  They’re much too young for a start, no older than 20.  The main resemblance is the dark scruffy looking hair.  His eyes are even more disconcerting.  One silver grey and one the same distinctive green she remembers from her friend.  Hermione tries to speak, but uncharacteristically doesn’t seem to be able to find her voice.  The youth speaks again first.</p><p>“You don’t look so good.  My house is just there.  Do you want to come in and sit down for a bit? Have a glass of water or something?”</p><p>She guesses she must look a fair fright, if she’s reading the look of concern on the boy’s face correctly.  “I’m fine, honestly.  Just had a bit of a shock that’s all. I saw you walk out of that house and thought you were someone I knew.  I’ll be fine.  I promise.”  She tries to reassure him.  Her freaking out is enough, she doesn’t want to impose on the young man, who seems so kind.  Mostly she just wants to get away from here and go home.   She’s already embarrassed herself enough for today.  Then something she wasn’t expecting happens.  The boy’s hair shifts from scruffy and black, to sleek and turquoise, his eyes remain the same disconcerting heterochromic green and grey, however.  The expression on his face seems guilty somehow.  It’s been a long time since she’s seen a metamorphmagus and she looks at him astonished.</p><p>“Oh fuck.  Sorry excuse my language.  You are a witch right.  I didn’t just do something really stupid did I?  I mean you saw me coming out of my house.  You couldn’t have done that if you were a… crap I’m making this worse.  It’s just, when I get flustered sometimes I can’t…”</p><p>“It’s okay.  I’m a witch.  It’s just been a while since I’ve seen a metamorphmagus.” Hermione reassures.</p><p>“Oh thank god.” The boy sighs in relief and Hermione guesses that the guilt she thought she saw, was due to him thinking he’d just broken the statute of secrecy.  “I’m Teddy by the way. Please, why don’t you come inside and have a drink.  It’s hot out here, and my house may be pretty disgusting right now, but it has cold water and glasses.  I think there’s even still some whiskey stashed somewhere.  My gran would be appalled at me, not to mention Dray, if I didn’t at least try and make it up to you for making you almost faint.”</p><p>Hermione found herself liking this flustered young man.  It was much easier to look at him now he didn’t resemble Harry.  Besides, now she was over the worst of her shock, she was curious as to how this person had ended up in number 12 Grimmauld place.  He’d said it was his house, but not many people his age could afford property in central London, particularly not places as large as Grimmauld.  He could be renting, but that posed its own set of questions.  She hoped she could face the interior of the property without being overwhelmed again, so she could have a chance to find out more.</p><p>“A glass of water sounds good.  Or a cup of tea if you could manage it.”</p><p>“Don’t think I can manage tea, the milk is 15 years out of date, and I think the something may have gotten at the tea, but I can definitely do water.” The youth smiled and laughed as he said this.</p><p>Hermione got up and followed the boy into the house.  His comment about the milk was interesting.  It told her that the house was almost definitely in the same state it had been in when her and Ron had left it for the last time, the day they’d entered the attic room. </p><p>When Hermione walked in, she was hit with the smell of disuse.  The youth had been right about it being filthy.  The odour of dust and neglect permeated the air.   No one had been in here for years.</p><p>“Hey, you look like you’ve seen a ghost again?”  Despite her resolve to stray strong, memories had hit Hermione again, walking into this place, but she had a better handle on herself this time and didn’t think she was going to faint.</p><p>“Sorry, it’s just been a really long time.”</p><p>“What has?”</p><p>“Since I’ve been in here.”</p><p>The boy started shifting uncomfortably on his feet, looking nervous.</p><p>“Uhhh, you’ve been in here before?”</p><p>“A friend of mine lived here a long time ago.  Do you own this place?”  Hermione’s inquisitive nature was slowly but surely taking over her unease at the bizarre situation she’d found herself in.  She was becoming more and more intrigued by this young man and how he’d ended up with Harry’s old house.</p><p>“Ummm…yeah.  I think technically it’s been mine since I was a baby.  It was in trust till I turned 17.  This is the first time I’ve been here though…had to wait for school to break up.”</p><p>There was something she was missing.  Some long-forgotten memory.  She trawled through everything she could remember about Harry and this house.  The pieces finally clicked into place.  There was only one person Harry might have left the property too.  One who would have come of age a few months ago.  “Teddy Lupin.  You’re Teddy Lupin.”  If Hermione had been 15 instead of 35, she would have been jumping up and down in excitement.  “I know, or I knew your godfather.  I think I met you when you were tiny.  I knew your parents too.  I can’t believe it.  Harry left you the house.  Why didn’t I think of you before?  Of course Harry left you this place.  He must have done it when he….  Sorry, I didn’t mean to go on like this.” Hermione stopped herself, the young man did not look happy about her outburst.  When she was younger, she used to drive Ron and Harry to desperation with her long rambling rants when she got herself fixed on an idea.  This boy was probably experiencing something similar, but without their familiarity and friendship with her to help him tolerate it.  Still, she pressed on.  This was too important.  “It’s just… I don’t know whether you know about Harry.  But he went missing a long time ago.  If you know anything that could help find him…”</p><p>“I’m sorry.  I don’t know anything about my godfather.”  The youth said curtly, showing obvious displeasure at her enquiry.</p><p>“But there had to have been some contact when he gave you this house.”</p><p>“I was two.”  Teddy had become if anything, colder towards Hermione, both his eyes now the same shade of steely grey.  It was a stark contrast from the polite, if slightly clumsy, eager youth from minutes earlier.  She got the distinct impression that he didn’t want to talk about Harry.  It piqued her curiosity but before she could ask anything else Teddy spoke again.  “I think you need to leave.  I have somewhere to be and you seem much better now.  I’m sorry I couldn’t help you with finding your friend.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione left quickly.  Although she would have liked to talk to him more, she could tell she wasn’t going to get further information from Teddy today.  One thing had been clear, however.  He knew more than he was telling her.  She wracked her brain for what she could remember about Teddy Lupin but was frustrated that her memory of the boy was fuzzy, and not particularly useful.  It had been in the house she had just left, that she first heard about Teddy Lupin, when Harry had guilted Professor Lupin into returning to his pregnant wife.  Then at Bill and Fleur’s cottage when the proud father had come and announced his birth and asked Harry to be godfather.  She knew that Harry had considered taking custody of him after his parents had died, but thought he was too young to care for a baby.  He’d not even been 18.  She’d only met the child once.  When Harry had been babysitting. He had been about 4 months old at the time.  She hadn’t realised that Harry and Teddy had been particularly close.  She’d always assumed it had just been out of obligation to Remus that he’d spent time with the baby.  She didn’t think he’d really spoken about the child to her, or maybe she’d just not been listening.  Over the first few months following Harry’s disappearance she’d discovered that there was a lot about Harry that she had missed, or wasn’t aware of, back then.  Rather than digging through long forgotten memories, she decided to focus on what Teddy had said, to see if that would give her a direction to investigate.  He’d mentioned his Gran and a Dray.  She had no idea who Dray might be but when Harry had refused to take full custody of Teddy, his grandmother had taken responsibility.  Frustratingly, she couldn’t for the life of her, remember the woman’s name.  She believed Lupin’s wife called was Nymphodora Tonks, an Auror who had been killed at the battle of Hogwarts.  It was at least that was a starting point.  She vaguely remembered the woman as a member of the Order of the Phoenix, using her metamorphmagus skills to entertain them over dinner. It had been nearly twenty years since then however, and although Teddy being a metamorphmagus lent credence to her memory, she wasn’t certain.  Hermione wanted to throw herself straight into research and tracking down Teddy and his family.  The maturity of adulthood, instead of the headfirst nature of her teenage self, and her responsibilities, tempered her instincts.  Instead she apparated to the Burrow.  Her children needed her.  Harry had been missing for more than a decade, she could take a little time before rushing off on this new lead.  She also didn’t want to have the whole family worked up over nothing.  It had been five years since the last communication.  The one that had finally made up her mind that Harry had left of his own free will.  It didn’t stop her wanting to know what happened, however.  Harry’s disappearance was the unsolved puzzle that nagged at her.  The one that still made her husband fly off into a rage at the merest mention.  That had changed her sister in law from being a confident young woman, happily newlywed; to someone who’d retreated into herself for more than a year.  Gin might be better now, but it had only been in the last year that she’d trusted another person to start a real relationship.  Harry had done all of this.  She needed to find him.  Not just to resolve the unanswered question of why he’d left so abruptly and secretively, but also to face up to the damage he’d done.</p><p> </p><p>____________________</p><p> </p><p>Teddy could feel the guilt and shame burning inside him as he’d showed the woman out of the house abruptly.  He should have known when the woman had said she’d thought he’d looked like someone familiar that she’d known Harry.  He’d been looking at the picture that had been left on the coffee table in the living room of his godfather, when he was young, right before he had left, thinking vaguely of asking his Godfather and husband of borrowing a couple of house elves to sort this place out.   In the photo, Harry was laughing on the grounds of Hogwarts with some people he didn’t know.  Teddy had changed his hair to match his godfather’s.  It had barely taken a thought.  It was something so natural to him.  It was a stupid mistake.  He walked back into the living room grabbed the photo from the table.  He wanted to destroy it.  For its destruction to undo the last hour.  He looked down at the happy laughing Harry again, then at the other people in the picture.  He realised that the woman he’d just invited into his house was in the photo too, much younger than she was now, but unmistakably the same person.  He’d fucked up royally.  He’d always known his Godfather and Dray had been in hiding, and why.  They were almost like fathers to him and he’d kept their secret, knowing how important it was.  Their story had never been a secret to him.  He’d spent at least half his time in Tuscany with them looking after him, before he went to Hogwarts.  Even after he’d started school, most holidays were spent there, or at one of their holiday homes, with them and his Gran and Aunt Cissa.  Now he’d managed to betray their trust.  Betray his family.  He’d never been so furious with himself.  He didn’t know what to do.  He didn’t know how to undo the horrible mistake he’d made.  He flooed from Grimmauld straight to his Gran’s and hoped she was there and not at the Manor.  He needed to talk to her before he told Dray and Harry what he’d done, and didn’t want to have to do it with Aunt Cissa there too.  He couldn’t deal with their disappointment in him yet. </p><p>The photo was still clutched in his hand as he exited the floo in his Grandmother’s house. </p><p>“Gran!  Are you here?”  He said, his panic coming through clearly in his voice.  His hair had turned its natural, slightly mousy, brown. </p><p>“Yes Teddy.” Andromeda came out of the kitchen, a tea towel in her hands drying the soap suds off them.  She caught one look at him and dropped the cloth on the floor.  She ran to him and pulled him straight into her arms.  “Teddy, what’s wrong?”</p><p>He buried his head into her shoulder.  “I fucked up Gran.  I really fucked up.” Too distressed to watch his language.</p><p>“Hey Teddy.” His Gran said, softly and reassuringly. “It’s okay, whatever you did we can fix it.  Me and Cissa, and Harry and Draco would do anything for you.  There is nothing so bad that we wouldn’t help you.”</p><p>His Grandmother’s words had the opposite effect to what, he was sure, she was intending.  If anything he felt worse.</p><p>“Gran, I went to Grimmauld today.”  He confessed.  The knot in his stomach was making him feel nauseous.</p><p>“I knew you were planning too.  There’s nothing so bad about that.  Tell me what happened”</p><p>Teddy sniffed loudly before continuing. “When I was leaving, I saw this woman on a bench.  She looked really unwell, so I went over to her.  I wanted to help.”</p><p>“I’m sure you did everything you could to help her Teddy dear.”  His grandmother was clearly getting the wrong end of the stick.</p><p>“It’s not that.  She was fine.  She’d just come over a little faint.  I asked her into the house for a glass of water.  But she knew Harry and I didn’t realise.  I think she knows I know where he is.  He and Dray are going to be so mad at me.  I know to be careful, but I saw this photo and changed my hair to match Harry’s.  She saw and I told her the house was mine.  That was when she worked out who I was.”  It had all come out in a jumbled mess as Teddy tried to stop himself from crying again.</p><p>“Teddy, Harry and Dray won’t be mad at you.  They love you.  Don’t you worry about that.”</p><p>“But… but… what if she…”  Teddy gulped, unable to finish.  He felt like a small child accidently changing his hair colour in front of his primary school teacher, instead of an of age wizard soon to enter his final year at school.</p><p>“It doesn’t matter.  Harry and Draco will deal with whatever happens.  They’re perfectly safe at home.  No one is coming to break down their doors with pitchforks, and even if they were, they will not blame you. This isn’t your fault.  I think you should go to the Manor and head straight to Tuscany.  I think they’re the ones you need reassuring you now, not me.  You’re due there tomorrow anyway, and Harry’s birthday is in a few days.  You were looking forward to that, and you still should be.  I’ll join you before then.  I’m going to stay here but I’ll be there soon.  And if either of them says one harsh word to you, which they won’t, they’ll have me to deal with.  Cissa too.  Now do you have any idea who this woman was?”</p><p>“I didn’t get her name.  But it’s this person.” Teddy hand over the photograph.  “The photo was left in the house.”</p><p>“Okay.  Well I’m sure she’ll come and find me soon enough, so I shall be here waiting for her.  I don’t think there’s much now that will stop her connecting Draco to Harry, but there’s still a possibility.  You should go though.  Let them know that there’s a chance that Hermione Granger is onto them.  They can decide what to do from there.  If we’re lucky when she comes to see me, as I suspect she will, I can convince her that neither of us know anything.  If not, then this is their mess Teddy and it was always going to end this way.  Do not blame yourself for this in the slightest.  You know that your Godfather and Draco were very foolish when they were not much older than you.  This is their burden and not yours.   I promise you, no matter what happens now, everything will be okay.”</p><p> </p><p>______________________</p><p> </p><p>Hermione had meant to keep her revelation from the day from Ron, until she had more proof.  Unfortunately, as soon as her husband arrived home, he could tell something was up.  It was one of the consequences of knowing someone more than half your life.  She’d managed to get Hugo and Rose to bed earlier, but her racing thoughts had left her pacing around the kitchen with a gin and tonic in hand.</p><p>“Hermione, what’s got you so worked up.  You’re not pregnant again, are you?” Ron said jokingly, as soon as he noticed the state she was in.</p><p>Hermione felt like she was going to be sick.</p><p>“Shit ‘mione.  You really aren’t pregnant, are you?  Not that that wouldn’t be great…”  Ron looked panicked.  They’d talked about having more children not long after Hugo had arrived and decided two was enough for them.  The trauma of multiple miscarriages before she’d conceived each of their children was enough to make their minds up definitively, so Ron had undergone a vasectomy.</p><p>“Ron, I’m not pregnant.  And if I were do you think I’d be stood here with a very large alcoholic drink.  You can stop.”.</p><p>“Okay.” He looked almost comically relived at this.  “I didn’t really think that you were… but something is wrong?”</p><p>She didn’t want to tell him what had happened today.  Not for her, but for him.  She wasn’t going to lie though, which only left one option. “I went to Grimmauld today… Don’t look at me like that Ronald Weasley.” Ron had started to frown at her.  He didn’t like that she hadn’t just given up on Harry years ago.  “I bumped into someone coming out of number 12.”</p><p>“Fuck, it wasn’t….”</p><p>“No it wasn’t Harry.” Hermione replied, knowing exactly what he was thinking.  “It was Teddy Lupin.”</p><p>“Teddy Lupin… you mean Harry’s godson?  I haven’t thought about him since he was a baby.  What was he doing in Grimmauld place?”</p><p>“I’m fairly certain that Harry left him the place.  Probably around the same time the bank accounts all changed.”</p><p>“Okay and why has this gotten you all worked up.   We tried following that up when it happened.  He probably used the same solicitors and we already know they’re a dead end.” </p><p>“I think he knows where Harry is.” Hermione said, and went on to explain the eyes and hair, as well as Teddy’s dramatic change in demeanour when she started talking about his godfather.</p><p>“Hermione, what does it matter.  Harry doesn’t want us in his life. He made that clear when he left.  When he cut Gin off.  When he divorced her without even doing her the courtesy of telling her in person.  She didn’t even get a bloody letter, if that’s what you call that 3-line scrap that you got.”  Ron was getting angry.</p><p>“Because I need to know.  You know why I need to know.  He’s our friend.”</p><p>“He was our friend.  He stopped being that a long time ago.”</p><p>“I have to try.  It’ll nag at me if I don’t.”  They’d had this argument multiple times over the years.  Ron just wanted to forget all about Harry.  All he could think about was the betrayal.  Hermione still held on to the good memories.  Besides her curious nature didn’t like unsolved mysteries.  Despite their differing viewpoints, each of them felt the disappointment every time a lead came up blank.  For Hermione it made her more determined, whilst it made Ron surer that pretending Harry had never existed, was the right path.</p><p>“Fine, I’d rather you just gave up, but then you wouldn’t be the Hermione I love.  Don’t tell Gin about this though.  It’s not fair on her.”  This was the one point about Harry that both of them were completely in sync on.  Telling Ginny, or the rest of the family, was not a good idea.  It only led to more distress.</p><p>“I won’t.  But I can’t let this go.  This might be our last chance to find out what actually happened.”</p><p> </p><p>___________________</p><p> </p><p>Hermione nervously stood outside Andromeda Tonks’ house.  It hadn’t taken long to track her down.  Tonks wasn’t exactly a common wizarding surname and she’d lived in the same place since the end of the war.  Her and Edward Lupin were the only registered residents, Edward Lupin having just finished his 6<sup>th</sup> year at Hogwarts.  Hermione wondered whether Teddy would be there too. School was done for the summer.  She wanted to question him further, but she thought it might be better if he wasn’t.  He’d shut down completely at the mention of Harry and she didn’t think there was much more he’d let slip.  Andromeda Tonks was a least a new source of information.  From her research she knew that the woman had been Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy’s sister.  That she’d been disowned from her family when she’d married a muggleborn, who had been killed in the war, along with their only child and Teddy’s mother.  She didn’t know why she hadn’t thought about Teddy and Andromeda before now.  She had known Harry had been in contact with his godson fairly regularly before his disappearance, but it had seemed so insignificant.  The official auror report informed her that Andromeda was one of the people who had been questioned by them, soon after Harry had left.  They’d gotten no leads from her.  Either they missed something, or Harry had gotten in contact later.  There was clearly there was some kind of link.  Teddy had given that much away. </p><p>Hermione knocked on the door and it opened.  The woman in front of her bore an uncanny resemblance to Bellatrix Lestrange.  She was glad she was seeing her fifteen years down the line, and not immediately following the war.  The subtle changes, of age and time, helped her not react with automatic revulsion and fear.  Like the mad woman who’d tortured and permanently scarred her was stood in front of her.  The obvious annoyance the older woman was displaying, at having Hermione showing up on her doorstep without any notice, wasn’t particularly comforting, however. </p><p>“Mrs Tonks?” </p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“I’m Hermione Granger-Weasley.  I was wondering whether I could come in.”</p><p>“You know it’s not polite for a stranger to turn up unannounced at a person’s door and then expect to come in.”</p><p>“I’m sorry Mrs Tonks, but this is important.” Hermione pleaded.  She needed this.  She needed to know whether he suspicions were true.  Whether they would actually lead her to the truth about Harry’s disappearance.</p><p>“I’m sure it is Ms Granger-Weasley.  Fine you can come in.”  It was said bruskly, but at least it was what Hermione wanted.</p><p>Hermione followed the older woman into the house.  There were pictures lining the walls, but she didn’t get a chance to look at any of them before being ushered into a comfy living room.  The house felt warm and friendly, the same as Teddy did, but this woman was acting anything but that.  The woman felt out of place in her home.  Her personality didn’t match her surroundings. </p><p>“Mrs Tonks” Hermione started as she sat down, wanting to get straight to the point. “I’m here because I bumped into your grandson a couple of days ago.”</p><p>“I can’t imagine why that would prompt you to visit.”</p><p>“Well…I think he might know something about an old friend of mine.  Harry Potter.  He’s your grandson’s godfather.”  There was no point in being anything other than straight with this woman.</p><p>“I’m aware of who my grandson’s godfather is.  I don’t see how that is of import.” </p><p>The coldness was off putting, but Hermione ploughed on.</p><p>“Well I was wondering whether you, or he, might have had any contact with Harry since he disappeared.”</p><p>“We received notification of an account set up for Teddy, along with the deeds of the house, both to be held in trust until Teddy turned 17, a few months after Harry disappeared.  The paperwork all came through solicitors.  There were no details about Mr Potter’s whereabouts included.”</p><p>“Oh. And nothing else.” Hermione wasn’t convinced, but she didn’t want to accuse the woman of lying directly.  That would just get her kicked out without any more information than she’d entered the house with.  “It’s just, when I saw Teddy at first, at a distance I could have sworn it was Harry.  He had Harry’s hair, and then when I got closer, I saw one of his eyes was the same colour as Harry’s.  How could he do that if he’d not seen Harry since he was a baby?” She enquired as carefully as she could manage.</p><p>“There was a photo in the house.”  Andromeda Tonks said this very deliberately and carefully.  It didn’t seem like an outright lie, but it didn’t feel like the truth either.  Hermione needed more data.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“That was why his hair looked like Mr Potter’s.  He found this photo.” Andromeda said, handing over the photo of Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny lying beneath a tree by the lake at Hogwarts. “It was on the coffee table in Grimmauld place when he entered.  Sometimes when his emotions run away with him, his metamporphmagus abilities take on a life of their own.  Going to the house the godfather he doesn’t remember left him and seeing that photo.  It was a big day for him.  You badgering him about the Godfather he doesn’t even remember distressed him, and he came straight here to tell me.”</p><p>“I see.”  Hermione didn’t think she could trust this woman, but unlike the 17-year-old who’d gotten flustered, Andromeda Tonks was cool and collected in her answers.  She didn’t like seem like someone who slipped up easily.  “Is there no way I can speak to Teddy again.”</p><p>“No.  He’s gone away to see family and won’t be back until school starts.”</p><p>Hermione didn’t see how to pry more information out of the woman, even though she was sure there was more to the story.  Pressing further wasn’t going to get her anywhere.  She’d just have to research Andromeda and Teddy further or accept this was another dead end.  “Well if that’s all the information you have for me, I suppose I should leave.  I’m sorry for intruding on your time.  I would just like to ask you one favour, if it’s not too much, I would very much like to keep that photo.” </p><p>“If it pleases you Ms Granger-Weasley, I’m sure Teddy won’t mind.”</p><p>Hermione had expected a no.  If Teddy really had no contact with his godfather since he a baby, and had such an emotional connection with the one image that her talking about his godfather had distressed him, she would have thought he’d want to keep it.  Maybe Teddy wasn’t like that, although the number of photos scattered around this place, made her doubt it.  This was obviously a family that like photographic mementos.  There were dozens of them on the walls and scattered on the mantelpiece.  She didn’t press, deciding her best course of action with this woman was to seem detached from the situation.  She got up calmly and slowly started to make her way back towards the front door.  As she walked through the hall this time, Hermione made an effort to get a better look at some of pictures.  There were lots of Teddy over the years, many of them seeming to have been taken abroad.  The sunshine in the photos felt brighter and warmer than what she was used to in England, and the scenery and buildings had a distinctly foreign feel.  There was one where Teddy looked to be about 13, dancing on, of all people’s, Draco Malfoy’s feet.  It appeared to have been taken at a party, possibly a wedding.  Malfoy was dressed in stunning, and no doubt expensive dress robes, a wedding band glinting on his ring finger.  That Teddy had been in contact with the Death Eater she’d known at school, was surprising, but not completely outside of the realm of possibilities.  He was related to both Andromeda and Teddy.  It wasn’t that photo that really caught her eye, however.   The one that really piqued her interest was of Andromeda Tonks and a person she thought she recognised as Narcissa Malfoy, sunbathing by a pool.  Teddy was playing in the water with Draco Malfoy, again, but Teddy was younger in this photo, maybe four.  Teddy’s hair matched the pointy Slytherin’s when she first looked.  Then the young child turned towards whoever was taking the photo and splashed towards the camera, laughing as his hair changed to the ever familiar scruffy looking black.</p><p>“Do you see your sister much?” Hermione asked, still staring at the photo.</p><p>“I don’t see how that is any of your business.  I’ve been patient with you enough.  I think it’s time you go.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione had gotten what she wanted.  Andromeda Tonks had almost been a dead end, but that photo told her that there were potentially two other people who might have clues as to Harry Potter’s whereabouts.  It didn’t make any sense, but if she interpreted that photo correctly, both Draco and Narcissa Malfoy had seen Harry Potter since his disappearance.</p><p> </p><p>_________________</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Narcissa, Blaise, Pansy, Teddy, Harry, and Draco were all sat anxiously in living room of Harry and Draco’s house.  Andromeda was due to arrive at any time.  Since Teddy came through the floo in tears two days earlier Harry and Draco had had multiple discussions about what would happen.  Andromeda had tried to reassure them, via a floo call, that she would do everything in her power to keep Hermione from getting any further in her investigation, they both knew it was a long shot.  Hermione was tenacious at school, and there was no reason to doubt she’d changed that much over the last 15 years.  The thought of Harry’s whereabouts being discovered was nothing compared to their concern for Teddy, however.  He was devastated that he might have ruined everything for them.  It had taken both of them continuously reassuring him before he’d been able to sleep the first night after he’d arrived.  They’d both ended up sleeping on the floor of his room.  The last time they’d done that was when he’d caught Dragon Pox as four-year old.  They’d spent the night then hardly sleeping, waiting for his fever to break, worried out of their minds.   When he’d woken the next day, he’d been a little more himself, but it was obvious how upset he was.  It was clear, even without the failing of his metamorphmagus abilities leaving his hair mouse brown and flat, instead of its usual brightly coloured mop. </p><p>Harry and Draco weren’t upset with Teddy in the slightest.  They’d been living here in secret for fifteen years.  That the truth about Harry’s disappearance was going to come to light eventually, was inevitable.  They’d always assumed it would be some member of the press catching a lucky break and taking a photo of Harry that would do it.  Or that they’d come across someone from Harry’s past who’d see through one of their glamour charms.  The increasing sophistication of those charms, and the fact that the spells they used weren’t available, or even known about, within the wider wizarding community had diminished that particular risk, but it was still a possibility.  Someday Draco planned to sell the potion and charm combination.  It was patented under his company Noir Constellations, but as far as anyone was concerned it was still in testing phases.  Teddy accidentally letting slip when he was younger to one of his friends had been a worry for a while, however small, but he never had.  Not mentioning Harry outside of family had been such an integral part of his upbringing, none of them had really thought that he would tell any of his friends once he started at Hogwarts.  It was probably the main reason why Teddy was so upset now.  He thought he’d let them down, when really it was an unfortunate accident that no one could have foreseen.</p><p>The floo flared green, announcing that Andi was coming through.  She’d barely stepped out of the fire before Teddy threw himself at her.</p><p>“Did you manage to stop her finding us?” Teddy said as he wrapped his arms around his Grandmother, showing how anxious he was about the whole mess.</p><p>“Let your grandmother catch her breath before you start bombarding her.  You’re an adult not a four-year-old.” Narcissa chastised.  The ingrained beliefs she’d grown up with, and instilled in Draco, had not diminished slightly over the years away from the rigid structure of her old life.</p><p>“Sorry Aunt Cissa.” Teddy said sheepishly.  “Sorry Grandmother.”</p><p>“Not to worry Teddy.  I’m just glad you don’t think your too old to give me hug when you need one.” Andromeda wrapped Teddy tighter in her arms. “Draco, Harry, how are you dealing with everything?”</p><p>“We’re fine Andi.  Mostly worried about Teddy.”  Harry answered, truthfully.</p><p>“You shouldn’t worry about me, guys.  I’m not the one who’s going to be affected by this.  It’s just my fault…”</p><p>“Teddy, we told you, none of this is your fault.” Draco tried to reassure the young man.  “Come sit with us and let Andi grab a cup of tea.  Harry and me will get jealous if you give all your attention to your grandma.”</p><p>Teddy stuck his tongue out at Draco and changed his hair from mousy brown to bubble gum pink.</p><p>“That’s more like the Teddy I like to see.”  Harry said and grinned as Teddy let go of his grandma, instead coming to snuggle himself between Harry and Draco on the couch.  It made Draco feel better to have Teddy changing his hair to its usual bright tones again.  Having him cuddled between them on the sofa was also helping.  It reminded him of when Teddy was little.  Of the many nights they’d sat like this whilst Harry made up stories for them.  It was the stories that Harry told Teddy that had inspired his writing career and had made up the basis for his early books. </p><p>Draco felt Harry stroking his hair and looked at the man he loved.  Whatever happened next, he knew everything was going to work out fine, as long as the two of them were together.  That they had each other and their family supporting them.</p><p>“So are you going to tell us what happened, Andi?  Did Hermione come and find you.” Harry asked when the woman was finally seated comfortably with a hot drink.</p><p>“Of course Granger found her.  She was always a busy-body.”</p><p>The hand that had been stroking Draco’s head stopped and slapped him lightly.</p><p>“Enough of that you.  You’re not helping, and I want to hear what Andi has to say.” Harry scolded.</p><p>“Boys.” Andi looked at the two of them firmly before continuing. “Mrs Granger-Weasley came by earlier today.  I think I had her convinced.  At least she was leaving without asking to many questions… but…”</p><p>“Grandma…?” Teddy sounded panicked again.  Draco squeezed the young man’s hand, while Harry pulled him in closer to his side.</p><p>“She noticed one of the photos on the wall.  I was stupid not to have taken them down, but there aren’t any of Harry and I didn’t think.  It was the one where Draco and Teddy are playing in the pool and Teddy splashes the camera.  It was Teddy’s hair again.  She saw it and asked about Narcissa, and I knew she’d figured out that both Draco and Cissa, at the very least, know something about Harry.  I don’t know whether she’s been able to figure the whole story out, but I’m fairly certain she’s going to try and track Draco and Cissa down.  She won’t get any further than the Manor.  As far as anyone in England is concerned, Draco still lives there with you Cissa. But I don’t think she’s going to stop without speaking to one or both of you.”</p><p>“You did your best Andi.  I wouldn’t have thought about the photo’s either.” Draco sympathised, and then turning to his son in all but name.  “And Teddy, you cannot blame yourself for this.  We love everything about you, even if it’s you copying your godfather’s mad hair from time to time.” Draco ruffled Teddy’s hair and pulled the boy from Harry’s side into his own.  No one was going to let Teddy think that any of this was his fault.  Partly, for the simple fact that it wasn’t, but mostly because Teddy was more important than staying hidden.</p><p>“So what are you guys going to do now.” Blaise asked.  Blaise and Pansy had stayed quiet through the discussion up until this point, which was unlike them.  It reflected the deep concern they both felt about the consequences of the situation, and how it would affect their friends.</p><p>Harry took a deep breath. “I think I’m going to celebrate my birthday with my friends and family.  We are all going to drink too much, because you won’t let us do it any other way.”</p><p>“Too right.” Blaise interrupted, before Harry had finished, causing Harry to shake his head in amusement before continuing.</p><p>“Then I think I’m going to pay a visit to England.  Hermione will pull at this thread until she finds me, and I’m not going to let her do that by barging her way through Narcissa.”</p><p>“Harry, you don’t have to do this for me.” Narcissa said.  “The Manor is completely secure.  She won’t get in unless one of us lets her through the gates.”</p><p>“You don’t know Hermione, Cissa.  She’ll find me.  From what Andi said, it’s obvious she’s convinced that you and Draco have seen me at some point in the last 15 years.  There’s also Draco to think about.  She might not be able to find out where we are, but if she works out he’s not living at the Manor, that will just be another line for her to investigate.  I have no doubt she’ll be able to find the name of the business, of most of the properties.  We don’t have time to get the solicitors to cover every single track we’ve left, even if it were possible.  I doubt she’ll have guessed the whole truth, but what she knows is enough.  The only way to stop her intrusively digging into our lives is to give her a reason to stop.”</p><p>“How soon, love?” Draco didn’t like this solution but was resigned.  It was one that he and Harry had fought about the night before.  Draco had reluctantly agreed with the logic, bowing to Harry’s superior knowledge of Hermione’s personality.  It didn’t mean he was happy about it.  He liked their life, and although this was the path with the least risk, he’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this.  He couldn’t let his doubts show with Teddy there though.  His eyes met Harry’s, and he knew his husband understood his concerns.  This was fortified when Harry spoke to the room.</p><p>“Like we discussed last night.  A week should be enough time to reinforce the wards on this place and the Manor?  I don’t think the Weasley’s will go to the press, and I’m certainly not telling them where I live, but I’d rather be certain before I do this.  I’m not planning on changing our lives by doing this if I can help it.  I’m just going to tell her to leave it, and us, alone.”</p><p>_____________________</p><p> </p><p>Harry left Draco at the Manor gates.  He’d tried to persuade his husband to stay in Tuscany, but Draco had insisted on coming at least this far.  He’d no doubt spend the day anxiously pacing around the endless corridors and checking and rechecking the wards.  The one possible hitch in Harry’s plan was that he didn’t know where Hermione and Ron lived now.  Instead he headed straight for the Burrow, and could only hope that either Molly and Arthur would either tell him where he could find his old friends, or more likely send for them.  There was no point covering his tracks, as he usually did when moving about England, so he did it in one jump.  The place looked just like he remembered, despite the years since he’d last been here.  He tried to look at the ramshackle building with the fondness from his school days, but that was gone.  It was just a house.  Walking up the path he was glad no one was in the garden to see him arrive.  He hoped it would be Arthur that opened the door.  He was more likely to be sensible about Harry turning up than Molly.  He didn’t really want to deal with being chastised and smothered at the same time, the way Molly had done when he’d turned up in the middle of the night in the car stolen by the twins in his second year.  Or have to deal with the overbearing mothering he remembered from when him, Ron and Hermione were 17 and planning a horcrux hunt.  He really didn’t want to deal with the tears, he suspected would be almost inevitable, if the Weasley matriarch was the first to see him after all this time.  He stood on the doorstep for several long moments, steeling himself before he knocked.  He wrapped the door knocker three times and waited.  He could hear shouting from within the dwelling, and the sound of someone coming towards the door.  Harry felt sick, and wished Draco were here holding his hand.  The door opened.  It wasn’t Molly or Arthur that was stood in front of him.  Instead he was faced with a stunned looking Ron.  Before he could say anything, Ron had pulled back his arm and let it fly straight at Harry’s face.  There was a crack as Ron’s fist hit Harry’s jaw, hard.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So the story moves forward.  I'm not sure when I'll next be able to post. I have the next couple of sections written, but they're still pretty rough.  I'm at University for the next couple of weeks doing some more of my Masters which will limit my editing and writing time.  I may be able to get another chapter out of this next week, but I'm not sure.  Thank you to everyone who is sticking with me.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Outbursts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Harry talks to Ron and Hermione</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I know I said I wasn't going to be able to post again for a while, but this chapter was almost finished anyway and I couldn't help myself.  Now I really will, in all likliness, be disappearing for two weeks.  I have a ridiculous amount of reading to do, a presentation to write, and two essays to plan, all on top of two weeks of lectures.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Harry, what the fuck.  Seriously what the actual fuck.  Fifteen years with just the one note.  And even that didn’t come for a decade.  I thought you were dead, or worse.  Now you just show up on the bloody doorstep.” Hermione was furious.  However much she had wanted to see Harry again, his appearance had brought up every frustrated and aggrieved feeling she’d tried to push away.  The ones that both her and Ron had.  She’d suppressed them so they bubbled unspoken under the surface, whilst he let his feelings out in bursts of rage, but they were still the same feelings.  It was much easier to focus on missing him when he was still the friend from her memories, instead of this unfamiliar adult she now had in front of her.  After his initial outburst in punching him, Ron was now ignoring Harry and was pacing the room, not saying a word.  She’d managed to persuade Molly and Arthur to take the kids out for a bit.  She didn’t think she was going to manage it, Molly wanted to stay, but Arthur had eventually made her see reason.  Rose and Hugo shouldn’t be around for this, and Ron and Hermione needed to talk to Harry.</p><p>Harry didn’t say anything in response, he just nervously rubbed at his wedding band with his thumb.  The action drew Hermione’s attention to the ring.  It was a different to one to the one she remembered.  It’s not just the ring that’s different, everything about Harry seems out of place with her memories of him.  The age difference between this Harry and memory Harry would be one thing, but it wasn’t just that, and Hermione found it disconcerting. The clothes were a little too rich and smart.  He wore fashionable glasses and his haircut, although still untidy, looked more purposefully messy than it used to.  He had a golden tan and aura of health and happiness.  Even with his obvious stress at being here, Harry looked better than the faded picture in her memories.  The haunted look he’d had since 5<sup>th</sup> year, that had been permanently carried just behind every expression, and that had worsened after the war, was gone.</p><p>“You got married again” Ron had stopped pacing.  Clearly, he’d noticed the new ring too.</p><p>“A few years ago. Yeah.”  Harry said to his feet.</p><p>“I can’t believe you.  We were best friends and you just ran away.” Ron shouted.  Hermione knew her husband.  This was the anger that always came to the surface when Harry had been mentioned since his disappearance.  It was rooted in frustration.  In his own feelings of inadequacy as a friend.  Harry leaving Ginny had upset him, but it was the secrets and lies that had really hurt Ron.  That Harry didn’t trust him to tell him what was going on in his life.</p><p>“You ran away once too.”  It may have been true, but Hermione thought it was pretty stupid of Harry to bring that up now.  Ron had already hit Harry once and was obviously just barely holding on to his temper. Reminding him of his biggest regret was hardly going to help the situation.</p><p>“I regretted it the second I did, and I came back as soon as I could.  You’ve been gone for 15 years and you don’t exactly look like you’ve been torn up about leaving us all behind. Why did you even come back?”  Ron had asked one of the questions that had plagued her since she’d seen who was on the doorstep.  The niggling in her brain, that she needed to find out the truth about the past, had been her companion since that tumultuous day fifteen years ago.  Harry showing up posed a whole new series of questions.</p><p>“Teddy and Andi told me about Hermione’s visits.”  She’d expected as much, but it didn’t explain why this caused Harry to give up hiding all of a sudden.  Having managed to stay hidden for so long without a trace, he clearly knew what he was doing.  Even if she managed to find out his location from either of the Malfoys, he could have just moved.  It’s not like he didn’t have any warning.  And it certainly looked like he had the money to do as he pleased.</p><p>“So you assumed that I’d work out where you were based on that and manage to track you down?” Hermione asked calmly.</p><p>“Pretty much.”  Harry’s short answers were not enough to sate her curiosity, but before she could probe further Ron interrupted again.</p><p>“You’re a cowardly piece of shit.  Do you know what you put us through?  What you put my sister through?”</p><p>“I know.  I just...  I needed to go.”</p><p>“You were cheating on her, weren’t you?”</p><p>“Yes.”  That Harry didn’t deny it spoke volumes to Hermione.</p><p>“And you ran away with her?”</p><p>“Not exactly.”  Harry said, rubbing the ring again.</p><p>“What do you mean not exactly?  You didn’t get a message from her that morning telling you to meet her at your usual rendezvous?  You didn’t then disappear off the face of the earth?”  Ron said, sarcastically.</p><p>“Most of that is true.”  Harry was not helping with either her, or Ron’s, frustration with his vague answers.</p><p>“Harry, tell us what happened that day?”  Hermione asked gently, earning her a scornful look of Ron, who had started angrily pacing again.  She needed to take over the conversation from Ron if they wanted to try and get some real answers.  His antagonistic questions weren’t getting them anywhere, and Harry wasn’t exactly being forthcoming on his own account.</p><p>“It’s like Ron said.  I got a message from the person I’d been with before the wedding.  Being apart was making us both miserable.  We decided that the only way we could be together was to run and not look back.”</p><p>“That doesn’t explain why you didn’t get in contact.  Why you didn’t just tell us and Ginny you were unhappy?  You were cheating on her a while before you married her?  The messages you had saved went back a long time.  I don’t know when you started sleeping with this woman, but even if it just happened the once, it was wrong.”</p><p>“It wasn’t just the once.” Harry said, confirming what Ron had insisted on over the years.  “I didn’t run out on my whole life for a fling.  We were, we still are, in love.  We have a life together.”</p><p>“A life that can include Teddy Lupin and his Grandmother but not us.  Harry, did we really mean so little to you?” She pressed.</p><p>“It’s not that you didn’t mean anything to me.  It’s that they…that he meant more.”  Harry said this with a sigh, as if the confession was something he’d wanted to avoid. </p><p>“He…?”  Hermione questioned, finally feeling like she was getting somewhere in finding out what had happened.</p><p>“My husband and I saw no choice back then.  We really did try to stop.  We cut off contact.  Then as his own wedding approached, he realised he couldn’t do it anymore.”</p><p>That it was a man that Harry had been with went some way to explain why the relationship had been such a secret, but not why Harry hadn’t trusted them.  They were his friends and being with a man wouldn’t have mattered.  “And you didn’t think you could tell us that you were gay?  Other than being an idiot and marrying Gin, did you really think we’d be cross over the fact that you wanted to be with a man?  Cutting us out hurt Harry.  It really hurt.  And some other woman got left behind the same as Ginny too.  You thought it was better to ruin multiple other peoples’ lives than just tell people.”</p><p>“It was an arranged marriage and she already knew he was gay.  They split very amicably.  She’s been happily married to someone else for about eleven years.  We went to the wedding.  She even helped me with my hair on my wedding day.  Her and her sister spent and age making my hair not resemble its usual bird nest, as my husband likes to call it.”   Harry smiled at the memory. </p><p>Harry’s look of contentment when he spoke about his life wasn’t something she could have prepared for.  They may have spent the years since he left wondering what had happened to him, but he had moved on.</p><p>“So <em>he</em>, this man, didn’t cut himself out of his life completely.  You didn’t cause a disaster with his friends and family.  Good on you.  Congratulations on only being a shit to your own family.”  Ron spat.  “So tell us, if you could be so noble as to let him keep his life, why did you have to cut us of yours?”  Hermione didn’t disagree with the sentiment. That Harry had trusted a bunch of strangers over his two best friends was probably the most hurtful part of this whole mess.</p><p>“We did at first, mostly.  There were a few people who helped us hide in the beginning.  But eventually his friends became my friends. The not telling you wasn’t because I was ashamed of being with a man.  If it had been any other man, I would have just told you.  I wouldn’t have used Ginny to hide behind.  I’m perfectly aware of what I did, and how awful it looks from your perspective.  We couldn’t let you know because of what everyone would say if they found out we were together.  Not just you guys, but the whole world would have been against us.”</p><p>Harry had finally given them an explanation, but there was still something he was hiding.  She knew he was choosing his words carefully.  That he was purposefully not telling them who had been the catalyst for his disappearance.  The she got it.  Hermione gasped, figuring out exactly why, when she’d worked out a link to Malfoys, that Harry had made the decision to come out of hiding now.  “It was Malfoy wasn’t it?”</p><p>Harry nodded, not bothering to elaborate.  Hermione couldn’t think of anything else to say.  Ron didn’t have the same problem.  The second Harry had confirmed who he had been with for the last fifteen years, Hermione knew Ron was going to lose it.  He still had multiple unresolved issues following the war, the final battle, and Fred’s death. Draco Malfoy was an easy target for the hatred and bitterness he felt.  That Malfoy was also the person responsible for Ginny’s abandonment was just adding fuel to the fire.</p><p>“You trusted a bunch of snakes over us.  You left my little sister for that Death Eater scum.”  There was the venom of righteous anger in Ron’s voice.  She grabbed his hand to try and soothe him.  She didn’t want him to start throwing punches again.  Hermione was impressed that Harry didn’t bite back though.  Instead he spoke quietly and calmly.</p><p>“My friends and husband are good people. We just didn’t give them a proper chance in school.  And please don’t call him that.”</p><p>“I’m sorry what am I supposed to call that vile piece of shit.”  Ron glared at Harry as he spoke.</p><p>“Not that. I’m asking you not to insult my husband. If you do, I’m going to have to leave.  I could try and explain, but if you can’t see past your prejudices, then there’s no point.”</p><p>“Harry.  I was tortured in his house.  He used to bully all three of us at school.  He took the Dark Mark.  He is not a good person.  What are we supposed to think?”  Hermione needed more information, needed to know how Harry could have ended up with his old school rival.  She didn’t even know how they even met again after the war. </p><p>“I don’t know.  But this is why we couldn’t tell anyone.  You’re reacting exactly how we knew you would, and this is with the benefit of time.  I’ve no doubt it would have been worse if we’d told you then.  I know we did it all wrong, Andi and Cissa were both pretty cross with us when we told them, but we didn’t see any choice.  We knew what you would say.  What the press would say.  They’d accuse him of using love potions or the imperious on me.  Even if they didn’t, we’d never be able to just have a normal life.  I know I was selfish.   But I love him, and he loves me.  We’re happy.”</p><p>“Great you’re happy.  You know what Harry.  I don’t want to hear any of your pathetic excuses.  Get out.”  Ron uttered, his fuming temper evident in every word. It wasn’t what Hermione wanted, she still had more questions, but keeping Harry here with Ron was not helping.</p><p> </p><p>Harry did as Ron said and got up and walked out the door.  Before he could get to the bottom of the garden, Hermione had caught up to him and called out.  He stopped and turned around.</p><p>“Harry.  Ron’s just angry.  Honestly, I’m angry too.  But I don’t want you to leave again without saying anything.  I just… I want to understand.  You clearly haven’t lived in complete isolation.  You’ve obviously seen Teddy and Andromeda more than once over the years, you call his mother Cissa for crying out loud. The woman who used to look down at us as if we were nothing but filth. You say you went to Malfoy’s ex’s wedding.  You spend time with his friends.  I just don’t get why, if they could be in your life, we couldn’t even get a word from you to say that you were okay?”</p><p>“I couldn’t Hermione.  Our friends understood why we were in hiding. Some of them helped to hide us in the first place.  In the beginning it was only Blaise and Cissa that knew where we were.  Eventually we invited Andi into the secret, and I got to know a few more of his friends.  It didn’t happen overnight, and they haven’t replaced you and Ron.  What we went through together is something no one else will ever know.  But not having to live with the memories of hiding from Voldemort was a relief.  And with them I didn’t feel guilty, like I do with you.  I didn’t have to live up to some image everyone had of me”</p><p>This insight into Harry’s state of mind in those couple of years after the war was a revelation.  She never thought about the pressure everyone put on him.  The air of expectation constantly surrounding him back then.  She thought that her and Ron would have been exempt from that, but clearly Harry had felt otherwise.  It didn’t stop the hurt of abandonment though and she had to push him on this matter.  She had to understand.</p><p>“You left behind all of the photos of us.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“The only contact we had was the 3 line note you sent with the divorce papers.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>These one-word answers were not what she wanted.  They did nothing to satisfy her curiosity.  They didn’t explain anything.  The pain of betrayal was starting to get the better of her, and frustrated tears were stinging her eyes. </p><p>“When you first left, we didn’t even know if you were alive.  We didn’t know whether someone had taken you against your will.  We searched for you.  Do you know how much effort it took to get into that foul bedroom in Grimmauld?  And when we got in all we found was the evidence of your affair.  You used the same bloody techniques you learnt from criminals covering their tracks to escape.  You let Malfoy use fiendfyre just to stop me tracing you.  I just can’t fit the you we used to know, with the person standing in front of me.”</p><p>Harry paused for what felt like an eternity.  Hermione was scared that he was just going to walk away without speaking.  When he eventually spoke, his voice was a little less calm than before.  Hermione had finally broken through the mask Harry had been hiding behind.</p><p>“I know I was a shit ‘Mione.  Even with only half the story, both you and Ron hate me for what I did.  I deserve that, mostly.  If you’re so desperate to understand I can tell you.  I can tell you exactly why I felt my only choice was to turn my back on everyone.  Why I felt so sick of my life and the expectations everyone put on me.  Why even after I’d escaped, I couldn’t contact you.   You say I’ve changed and am not the person you remember.  Well I wasn’t that person even before I left.  I died and it changed me, and none of you saw it.  None of you noticed that I was depressed.  It’s taken fucking years in therapy for me to deal with everything I went through in the war, and the years before I ran.  I still can’t get on a broom, but you didn’t even notice I wouldn’t fly.  But that’s least of it.  It was my relationship with Ginny that left me feeling the worst.  Not because I hurt her, but because she and you all hurt me and thought it was okay.  Do you know what actually happened that resulted in us getting back together?  Because I don’t?  I have no memories of that night.  You all must have seen how drunk I was at that party, but all of you seemed to think me ending up in Ginny’s bed was a reasonable outcome.  Draco still hates Ginny because of that.  Because if it were the other way around, and it was Ginny who got blackout drunk and woke up without her clothes in bed with me and no memory how she got there, you wouldn’t have been congratulating us on getting back together.  He was the one who pointed that out to me.  He’s the one who cared about my well-being as a person, not as the fucking saviour or the Harry Potter who had his whole life mapped out for him.  None of you even questioned how quickly me and Ginny got engaged.  I was eighteen and a mess, and all you did was tell me how happy you were.  I wanted someone to tell me to slow down.  That rushing into things wasn’t necessary.  That getting married few months later might not be the best decision.  Yes, I lied to all of you, and no, I shouldn’t have gone about things the way I did.  But I didn’t think I had a choice.  I was hurting and resentful.  I hated the whole world for the pressure it put on me.  You and everyone else wanted me to be someone I couldn’t be.</p><p>“Do you want to know what’s really sad though.  There was a way that this could have all played out differently.  One incident, before me and Ginny got back together, that could have changed everything, but I doubt you even remember it.  Draco walked out of bookshop and I knew that none of you would accept him.  You wonder why I did what I did.  Look back at those two years.  Really think about what I was like.  Think about how you talked about Draco, and the Ministry and public’s attitude towards him.  The person I was then was resentful of the way you treated me and the person I was in love with.  I’ve grown up enough to know now that it wasn’t all your fault.  That all the lies and secrets I kept played a large part in it.  But I was miserable and none of you could be bothered to see it.  I have to go now.  Draco’s waiting for me and I want get back to him.”</p><p>Hermione felt stunned by everything Harry had said.  She’d wanted more information, but what she got wasn’t what she expected.  It was both too much, and not enough to satisfy her curiosity, posing more questions that answers.  It was if a stranger was talking to her.  None of the memories he described fit properly with her own from that time.   She wanted to argue with him, to tell him he was wrong.  That his memory was playing tricks on him.  She wasn’t so sure it was though, that maybe she had been looking back at that time through rose-tinted glasses.  Mostly though, she wanted the stranger in front of her to turn back into Harry.  She wanted her friend back in her life.  But he was walking away again.  Back to the person she could only think of with disgust.  Harry was right about one thing; she didn’t think she could accept Draco Malfoy as anything other than a coward who’d followed Voldemort.  “Are you going to tell us where you’re going this time?” She appealed, wanting some way to be able to contact him, if he was determined to leave.</p><p>“No.”  Harry said this firmly.  There was no room for argument in his tone, but Hermione argued anyway.  She didn’t want to let this go.</p><p>“Why the hell not?  We deserve that at the very least.” Whatever Harry said about them hurting him, she couldn’t help but think that he’d hurt them worse.  “Are you too cowardly to talk to Ginny, or Molly and Arthur?  All of the people who you hurt with your disappearance?”</p><p>“No.  I’m not going to tell you where I live and I’m not going to talk to anyone else.  I don’t want to.”  The statement told Hermione more than she wanted.  Harry was choosing to protect Malfoy and their life together, over trying to make it up to her and her family.  The only reason he’d come here was to protect Malfoy.  All the things he’d told her about the pressure he’d felt under before he left, paled in comparison to this.   She’d spent years worrying about him and he’d just forgotten about all of them.  He didn’t care.</p><p>“Just fuck off Harry Potter.  I can’t look at you anymore.”  Hermione let the pain of rejection fuel her words.  She ran back into the house in tears.</p><p> </p><p>________________</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Harry apparated back to the Manor.  He did it one jump.  He didn’t care if they traced him here.  He walked through the grand hallways to Draco’s favourite sitting room, where he expected his husband would be.  It felt like it took forever to reach, all of his limbs felt heavy and sluggish.  As soon as he reached the room, he drew himself into the blond man’s waiting arms, feeling wrung out by everything that had happened.   Draco pulled him onto the sofa, and he nestled into his side.  He needed Draco to comfort him and tell him everything was going to be okay.  To let him know that he wasn’t the horrible person he felt like right now.</p><p>“You’re back now, love.  We’ll be home soon.  You don’t need to worry about them anymore.”</p><p>“Wish you could have been there with me.”</p><p>“Well we know why I couldn’t.  I can see one of them decided to take their annoyance out on your face.  Imagine what they’d have done if I’d showed up with you.”  Draco said, indicating the rapidly darkening bruise on Harry’s jaw.  Harry had forgotten it was even there, though now it had been pointed out it started to throb.  His husband cast a basic healing charm on it and the pain abated.</p><p>“Ron wasn’t best pleased when I showed up at their door.”  Harry felt drained, by the day’s events. The punch felt like something that had happened weeks, instead of only a few hours ago.  “I didn’t exactly handle it well when they started insulting you.”</p><p>“You never do love.”</p><p>“I just want to protect you.  You’ve dealt with enough.  I managed to keep my temper at least, unlike him.  I played it just like you would have, not like the foolish Gryffindor I am, and when he told me to get out, I did.”</p><p>“Was that when he hit you?”</p><p>“Nope, I got a fist to the face just for showing up.  I hadn’t even walked through the door.”</p><p>“Bastard.”</p><p>“I was kind of a shit to his family.  He probably deserved to get the one good hit in.  The worst of it wasn’t Ron though.  He behaved as I expected and let his temper do the talking.  It was Hermione, with her probing questions and inability to let things go.  She caught up with me after I walked out.  I may have gone off on her a bit, let out all the things I’ve been holding onto for the last fifteen years.  Then she had the audacity to ask me to tell her where we live.  I’d just told her that I’d spent half my life resenting the way they treated me, and had had to listen to her and her husband insult the man I married, and she thought that I’d tell her where our home is. She wanted me to talk the rest of the Weasleys too.  When I told her that I didn’t want to she looked like I’d broken her.  Like out of everything, that was what hurt the worst.  The part of me that still cares, hated that I’d done that to her.  They were my friends and they’re not going to forgive me.  I know I said that I didn’t want our lives to change, that I didn’t want them to be a part of it anymore, but I was scared to admit that a part of me still hoped that they might forgive me.  That maybe they’d give me a second chance.  But I could tell from moment I mentioned you, that even if I spent the rest of my life apologising to them, I’d still be the bastard that walked out on their family for a Death Eater.”</p><p>Draco had suspected that this would be the outcome of Harry going today.  It was why he hadn’t wanted him to do it in the first place.  He knew Harry would end up hurt.  It had taken them both years to get over their trauma from the war, and copious amounts therapy, but for Harry, that hadn’t been the hardest part of his life to come to terms with.  For him, it had been infinitely harder to reconcile the conflict he’d had over leaving, with the happiness he’d found in their new life together.  The Weasleys, and their short-sighted attitude, wouldn’t let them see that though.  They couldn’t see past the fact that Harry was now happier with a man that they all hated, than he’d been as part of their family. </p><p>“Screw them.  You haven’t needed them for the last 15 years.  You don’t need them now.  You told me once it was other people’s loss if they didn’t take the time to see me for who I really am.  Well, it’s their loss now that they can’t accept you for the wonderful man you are now.”</p><p>“They were my best friends once.  We went through so much together and I turned my back on them with barely a second glance, and what’s worse, if I had a chance to do it all over again, I’d do exactly the same.  I think that was what broke Hermione in the end.  When I refused to give her information on how to contact me, she could see what my priorities were, and it wasn’t her or the Weasleys.  It was you.”</p><p>Selfishly, this was exactly what Draco needed to hear.  That Harry’s old family hadn’t been able to worm their way in.  That Harry hadn’t decided, on seeing them again, that Draco wasn’t actually worth losing the first people he’d called family.  He knew it was just his own insecurities that had told him this might happen.  He knew Harry loved him and wasn’t going to abandon the life they’d built, but there was still a small part of his mind that told him he wasn’t worth the trouble.  Harry coming back and telling him that he was still Draco’s helped push his doubts away again.  “I love you.”</p><p>“I love you too.  More than anything.  I don’t like that I hurt my old family, though.  Seeing them made me realise again, how badly I treated them.  I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to bring myself to see them again after today, not sure I even want to try, but I still want to do something make it up to them.”</p><p>“Well you’ve got the trusts for their kids waiting.”  As far as Draco was concerned this was more than generous enough to make up for leaving them.  He didn’t think they deserved anything.  He still remembered the hurt teenager barely holding it together.  His so-called family hadn’t seen how damaged Harry had been, by what he’d gone through.  Only Draco had seen that, and he’d been as, if not more broken at the time.  They’d helped each other crawl out of depression and a society that had unfair expectations on them.  It was him, and not Harry’s friends, that had done that.  But Harry was different to him.  Saw the world differently.  Draco wasn’t going to stop Harry doing something for the Weasleys if it made him feel better. </p><p>“Money isn’t something they value.  They’ll probably only accept it because it’s for the children.  I need to do something else.”</p><p>“You don’t need to decide now.  Let’s go home.  Mother and Andi should have headed out on their latest holiday, as planned.  We’ll call Blaise and see if he can keep Teddy overnight.  He spent the day there, and Merlin knows what trouble Blaise has let him get into.  He may be seventeen, but I still worry when he’s around Blaise for too long.  Bad influence that he his.”  Draco was pleased that this earned him a smile from his husband.  He kissed Harry lightly before continuing.  “Even so, I think it’s best if he stays there a little long than planned.  We need some time to ourselves.  We can be alone in our beautiful house.  I have an amazing bottle of whiskey that is just asking to be opened and drunk.  We’ll spend the evening in the hot tub with the house elves bringing us canapés.  Then we can wrap ourselves up in our huge bed, and I can show you exactly how much I love you until you fall asleep in my arms.  The morning will be soon enough to work out what you want to do next.”</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Food, Wine and Bedtime Conversations.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hermione and Ron discuss the implications of Harry's confessions.<br/>Draco, Harry, Blaise and Pansy discuss what to do next.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Molly and Arthur arrived back at the Burrow with the children about twenty minutes after Harry had left.  Ron and Hermione hadn’t said a word to each other in that time, each sat caught up in their own thoughts.  When they got back Arthur herded the children into the garden and gave them some giant pieces of paper, and a large variety of paints.  It was a messy activity, one that would keep them occupied whilst the adults talked.  Molly had gotten a bottle of wine out and poured everyone a large glass, despite the fact it was barely mid-afternoon.  Hermione knew her parents-in-law were waiting for some kind of explanation about what had happened, but she wasn’t ready to talk yet.   She kept on switching between being upset and angry at Harry, and furious at herself.  She should have left the whole thing alone.  She should have never turned up at Andromeda Tonks’ expecting answers.  She wished she hadn’t decided to walk past Grimmauld Place that day.  She’d let her curiosity get the better of her.  Being in the dark was easier than having to deal with everything Harry had told her.  She felt conflicted and guilty about Harry’s revelations.  If everything he told her was true, it wasn’t just Harry who’d been a crappy friend, it was all of them.  She hadn’t realised how much pressure they were putting on him, and how destructive some of their behaviours were. Still, she didn’t think she could forgive him for not telling them how he was actually feeling then.  That instead he’d gone to Malfoy of all people.  That he had prioritised Malfoy over them.  That he was still prioritising Malfoy.  She wanted it to be some kind of trick.  That it was some kind of magic that had made Harry toss them over for the spiteful bully she remembered, but there was nothing in Harry’s demeaner or behaviour that indicated that.  That he fell in love with the Slytherin was the only explanation that made sense, even though it made no sense to her at all.</p><p>There was a pop of apparition and the gate opened.  Ginny and Trevor, Ginny’s partner, walked across the lawn laughing.  Their relaxed demeanour a stark contrast to the air of tension around the four adults sat together, watching the children in silence.  The happy couple came to a halt when they noticed the strange atmosphere around the family. </p><p>“What the hell happened?  Who died?”  Ginny asked, looking anxiously between all of their grim faces. </p><p>“Harry.”  It was Ron that answered, his voice flat and not bothering to clarify his statement in anyway.  Either not caring how his reply was likely to be interpreted, or simply unable to form his thoughts into an actual explanation of the morning’s events.</p><p>Ginny looked like she was about to be sick or pass out.  All colour had drained from her face.  If it weren’t for Trevor next to her, helping keep her up right, Hermione was sure she would have sunk straight to the ground.  “He can’t be dead.  No I don’t believe it.”  Ginny had jumped to the wrong conclusion.  To be fair, it was the only conclusion to be jumped to from the information she’d just received. Hermione felt mildly annoyed at her husband for not just leaving the talking to someone else if he was unable to do it properly.</p><p>“He’s not dead, Gin.” Hermione clarified, before her sister-in-law became even more distressed.  “He was here.”  Ginny didn’t look much better with the truth than she had at the thought that Harry had died.</p><p>“Gin, why don’t you sit down?  I’ll go get you a drink and your family can tell you the whole story.”  Trevor said kindly and started helping the overwhelmed Ginny to an empty chair.  Hermione could tell he was trying to give Ginny some space to deal with all of this.  He had to have been curious himself about Harry Potter appearing at the Burrow after all this time, yet he was putting Ginny’s wellbeing first, understanding that she might want some space to process this.  Might not want her boyfriend to hear the revelations about her ex-husband.  Ginny didn’t talk about Harry, so all he would know was what was published in the papers.  Even after fifteen years, there were still the odd article pondering over the famous wizard’s whereabouts in the paper.  Often, they would occur after some unfounded and unprovable sighting of Harry.  There had been a huge spread in the prophet for the ten-year anniversary of the end of the war.  Journalists had pestered the whole family for weeks to try and get interviews.  They’d kept their knowledge of Harry’s affair out of the papers though, not wanting the press to badger Ginny about it, so almost none of the wild stories even came close to the truth.  Even if the papers had known Harry had run off with another person, Hermione very much doubted they would have guessed who.  If none of the people closest to Harry had had a clue, then how could anyone else. </p><p>“I don’t want a drink.  Sit with me.”  Ginny grabbed Trevor’s hand and pulled him towards her.  He sat down next to her, looking relieved that he was being allowed to stay.  Hermione was thankful that Ginny had someone like this to help support her.  This wasn’t going to be easy for her.  She liked Trevor, and his behaviour now only increased the feeling; he was good for Ginny.  They’d been talking about moving in together soon.  She hoped that Harry’s sudden appearance wouldn’t ruin things for them.  Ginny deserved some happiness.  Then she remembered what Harry had said about the night he and Ginny had gotten back together and was overcome with nausea.  That secret would stay hers for the time being.  Ginny, her boyfriend, and family did not need that particular revelation.  She couldn’t risk ruining everything for her sister-in-law, when she herself wasn’t quite sure how much to trust Harry what had said.  She needed to look back over her own memories before she even considered telling anyone else, and even then, she couldn’t imagine telling Ginny. </p><p>“I want to know exactly what happened.” Ginny said, sounding a little more herself than she’d done a couple of minutes ago.  “From the beginning.”</p><p>Hermine told the story.  Starting with her accidentally bumping into Teddy Lupin, and her realisations at Andromeda Tonks’ house that both of them were likely in contact with Harry but neither of them were going to tell her anything.  She was about to move onto how the visit had given her a new lead, the Malfoys, when Ginny interrupted.</p><p>“So you didn’t find him?  He just showed up.  Why would he do that?”  Ginny sounded confused.</p><p>“I did make another discovery at Ms Tonks’ house.  I think she realised and knew where I would likely investigate next.  She told Harry and he decided to come here himself rather than let me carry on looking.”</p><p>“But why?  It’s been fifteen years.  What could be so important that he would just reappear rather than let you carry on searching?”  This was the point that Hermione had been dreading.  She did not want to talk about Malfoy, nor see the look on Ginny’s face when she realised exactly who she’d been tossed over for.  Ron saved her from having to say it.</p><p>“Malfoy.” </p><p>“What?  What does he have to do with any of this?”</p><p>“Harry married the slimy git.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Ginny had actually taken the whole thing much better than expected, once the initial shock had worn off.   Out of everything, it was that Ron and Hermione had kept their suspicions about the extent of the affair from her for years that had upset her most.  Even though they had done it from a place of kindness, they were still keeping a secret.  They didn’t trust her to be able to deal with the information. The parallel between what Harry did made Hermione a little uncomfortable.  But her and Ron made the decision to keep some of what they’d discovered secret to protect Ginny, and not the selfish reasons Harry had for deceiving them.  Ginny was also much more rational than her about Harry refusing to give them anyway of contacting him.  Hermione had wanted to try and track down the Slytherins, but Ginny had dissuaded her.  If Harry didn’t want them to know, then they should probably respect his wishes.  He might not have done the courtesy of respecting them, but they shouldn’t sink to his level, especially now he’d outright said he didn’t want them to.   Ginny had told them unequivocally that she didn’t want to speak to Harry, which had almost resulted in an argument between the two of them, before Ron had reminded Hermione not to push her own values on to other people.</p><p>Her and Ron had gotten home late that evening, and then struggled to get the overtired children into baths and bed.  Bill had turned up to the Burrow around dinner time with his two, prolonging their stay at the Burrow, with the retelling of the story and extending the debate about what Harry’s reappearance actually meant, and what consequences it would have.  All of the children had spent a rambunctious evening chasing each other around the garden, with all of their parents too engrossed in their discussions about Harry to pay too much attention to what they were doing.  Hugo and Rosie were filthy by the time the adults finally decided it was time to go home and didn’t want to leave.  Dealing with them had taken Hermione’s mind off her worries for a while, but now they were finally in bed there were no more distractions.  Lying next to Ron in bed she couldn’t seem to switch off.  Despite the long conversations they’d spent most of the day with, she still hadn’t mentioned any of the things Harry had told just her when they were outside together.  She needed to talk to someone about it though.  Needed to stop allowing everything to spiral out of control in her head.  Her husband was able to use a different type of logic to her, especially when it came to how people behaved.  He understood things much more instinctually.  She would go round and round in circles trying to get to grips with why people acted a certain way; Ron didn’t.  He had been irrevocably hurt by Harry, much more than he let on.  Despite this, she knew, when he wasn’t gripped by the reactive anger, like he’d been earlier when Harry had turned up, he would be able to give her an alternative perspective.  It may be influenced by the pain he’d experienced by Harry leaving, but that wouldn’t make it any less valid, at least not to her. </p><p>“Ron… are you still awake?”</p><p>“Kind of.” Ron said sleepily.  “What’s wrong?  You still thinking about Harry?”</p><p>“Pretty much.”  She admitted, staring at the ceiling, and not looking over to him.</p><p>Ron turned towards her and reached over and took her hand before replying. “You should just forget about him, he’s not worth tangling yourself up in knots over.  If he wants to be with his Death Eater, then we should let him.  Even Ginny agrees, and I think she’s the one who has the most right to make this decision.  I think he made it pretty clear that compared to the man who once nearly killed me, we’re nothing.  I’ve said for years that thinking about him wasn’t worth our time and effort, and all he’s done today is prove that.” Ron had made his stance clear over and over again, and Hermione had always resisted.  Now, she couldn’t help but agree with him a little, however much she still wanted her friend back.  But her friend didn’t seem to exist anymore.  It wasn’t this that was bothering her though.</p><p>“I know, and I would.  It’s just not that simple.  He said some things when we were outside that I didn’t mention earlier.  I pushed him into talking and he was a little bit more like the Harry I remembered for a couple of minutes.  But that’s what’s so hard about what he was saying.  If he’d just said it all the same distant way he said everything else, I could have dismissed it.  But…”  She trailed off, unsure exactly what she wanted to say, or how to take the conversation in the direction she knew she needed to.</p><p>“Tell me what he said ‘Mione.  I might want to forget about the prat, but I’ll listen.  I don’t want you feeling bad because of something he did.”</p><p>It was moments like this that reminded her exactly why she’d married Ron.  He’d proved time and time again since the war that he was on her side.  The knowledge made her more feel more confident about talking to him about this.  It didn’t help her know where to start, however.  There were three specific memories that Harry had given her that she either didn’t have any of her own memories of, or her memories differed in some way.  The flying, Diagon Alley, and the party.  With each of these she felt that from Harry’s point of view at least, she had let him down in some fundamental way.  She hadn’t noticed the length and extent of his depression; she had shown him why he couldn’t trust them about his relationship; and if it truly happened the way he described, the whole family had all committed a disgusting betrayal by not considering the implications of that night with Ginny, instead focusing entirely on their own desires.  She squeezed the hand in hers, drawing strength and comfort from her husband before finally turning to face him and starting on the difficult topic.</p><p>“Harry told me some things that happened back then.  The first two I don’t really remember at all, the last… well I leave that one for the moment.  Do you remember Harry flying at all after the war?”</p><p>“He stopped joining in with the backyard quidditch matches.” Ron said nonchalantly, as if this was something she ought to have realised too.  She was always amazed at how much better Ron’s memory than hers when it came to everyday events.</p><p>“Did he ever say why though?”</p><p>“Don’t think so.  Don’t think I ever asked.  Why’s it important?  So he stopped playing quidditch.  It happens.”</p><p>“It’s possibly not, by itself, but losing interest in activities is a sign of depression.  He told me he was upset that we didn’t see it for what it was.”</p><p>“Well how were we supposed to know what was going through his head every time he refused to play.  He never said it was because he was depressed.  He never told us he was unhappy.  He didn’t seem unhappy, not until those last couple of months.  If it were really all that bad, he wouldn’t have been able to hide it.  Or he could have, you know, told us.  Maybe then we would have been able to help.  This is just one more thing he didn’t trust us with.”</p><p>“I don’t think it quite works like that, but I agree he should have told us, rather than being resentful for us not being able to read his mind.”  Hermione thought she ought to do some research into depression.  Maybe that would help explain to her why, as Ron had suggested, Harry hadn’t just told them he was unhappy so they could have helped him.  Talking to someone was the rational thing to do.  She knew when she felt upset, or unhappy about things, she did what she was doing now and talked to Ron about it, which nearly always made her feel, if not completely better, at least not alone with her pain.  Ron was right in saying that Harry should have trusted them.  They were his best friends, and they’d been through so much together.  They had no reason to suspect he was shutting this part of his life out, and in the grand scheme of things, losing interest in flying was such a small thing.</p><p>“So we’re agreed we can’t blame ourselves for not extrapolating from one tiny change in Harry’s activities that he was a miserable git.  Let’s move onto the next task in operation stop my wife overthinking things so we can actually get some sleep.”</p><p>Hermione couldn’t help but laugh at her husband.  He really was good at making her feel better.</p><p>“Okay, the next one I have no memory of either, but Harry said it was this all-important event that changed everything.  He said we bumped into Malfoy in Diagon Alley at some point before he and Ginny got back together and we were pretty horrible to him.”  Even though she couldn’t remember the event, she didn’t doubt it had happened.  They all hated Malfoy and seeing him was hardly going to result in them all inviting him for tea and having a wonderful afternoon together.</p><p>“Yeah, the git walked straight into me and behaved the snobbish prick he always was.  I let him know he wasn’t welcome, and he left.  Harry was meant to hang out with us for the rest of the day but bowed out early, like maybe an hour later, saying bumping into Malfoy had ruined his day.”</p><p>“How the hell do you remember these things when I can’t?”  Hermione said in frustration.  If she could have remembered what Harry had been talking about earlier, she might have been able to get him to see her side.</p><p>“For the same reason I never loose my wallet or keys when you can’t go a day without wondering round the house in frustration having misplaced your handbag.  It’s just how it is. I get this, you get to be able to read, absorb and understand the multitudes of books and facts that just go over my head.  I don’t get why Harry thought that was such a major event though, other than it probably being the only time Malfoy was ever spotted in a wizarding area after the war.  Unless Harry was already with the bastard.”</p><p>“If I inferred correctly, I think he was.”  She wasn’t sure whether Harry had meant to imply that when he told her about this particular event.  But it was the only way she could interpret what he said.  It meant that at some point within the less than 6 month period following the war, Harry had not only forgiven Malfoy for the years of despicable behaviour towards them, and his actions in supporting Voldemort, including getting Dumbledore killed, but had gone so far as to fall for the arrogant blonde Slytherin.  It didn’t seem like any time at all.  No way near long enough to deal with all of that.  Something must have triggered his radical change of opinion, but she couldn’t think of anything that would allow her to forgive even a fraction of Malfoy’s behaviour, yet alone become friends, or more than friends with him, even if she found him remotely attractive.  Even if she could, there was no way she would have been able to change her opinion so quickly.</p><p>“That had to have happened within the week before he got back together with Gin.  He didn’t respect her at all did he.  He got back together with her whilst he was in another relationship. I thought he was a shite before with the cheating, falling for someone whilst he was with her was bad enough, but this is something else.  I always assumed the start of the messages were when he first met the person, not something that started up after they were already together.  I guess that’s not really the point you need help with though.”  Ron had gotten himself caught on a tangent.  She didn’t blame him.  If it were true, it painted Harry’s behaviour towards Ginny with a much blacker brush.</p><p>“Not really, I’m fully on board with the Harry was a selfish prick opinion.”</p><p>“Try looking at it this way.  So he got his knickers in a twist because we did what exactly?  Told a man that we disliked and had done horrible things to us to get lost.  Threw a few insults at him, which were no worse than any of the hundreds of insults he used to throw at us.  As far as we were aware, he hated Malfoy too.  Maybe if he’d bloody well told us he’d become friendly with him, then we would have held our tongues and behaved civilly, but we had no reason too.  Again it comes down to Harry keeping secrets from us.  Of him not trusting us.”</p><p>Whilst on his tangent, Ron had inadvertently brought up the final topic.  The one Hermione had really wanted to avoid, but he’d done such a good job at sorting out the other two issues out for her, and this last one was the one that she was really struggling with.  She thought she was better than that.  That she wouldn’t have prescribed gender norms to overlook a situation, that if it were the other way round, she would have been automatically horrified.  That she’d let her own desires for Harry to get back together with Ginny, stop her from seeing something that should have been obvious.</p><p>“About what you said before, I think the truth was that he really didn’t respect Ginny.  He told me something else as well… something that if it was true, well, I don’t think I’d blame him for not respecting Ginny all that much.  And this one wouldn’t just be a case of him not trusting us enough and talking about it.  It’s just… I don’t know… It’s pretty awful and I don’t know how to tell you.”</p><p>“Hermione, spit it out.  You’re procrastinating.”</p><p>She rolled back on her back before trying again.  Taking a deep breath she managed to form the words. “The night Harry and Ginny got back together.  Harry says he doesn’t remember it.  Any of it.”</p><p>“Yeah, well he was completely plastered.  I think he bought his own bottle of that stupidly expensive whiskey he used to like and finished off the whole thing by himself.  You have to remember that.”</p><p>“I remember him being drunk, but I wasn’t sure how drunk.  If he really was as out of it as you say, then that’s the problem.”</p><p>“Why is that such a problem?”</p><p>She turned to face him again, angry at Ron’s apparent lack of comprehension, despite the fact that Harry had had to point it out to her.  She had to make him understand.  She tried to keep herself calm, but his talking so casually about this was making her irate.  Her next words came out in a furious half-whispered hiss, she didn’t want to shout and disturb the kids.</p><p>“Ronald Weasley.  Do not tell me you do not understand why his being so drunk he can’t remember the whole bloody night and him sleeping with Ginny is not a huge fucking problem.  Imagine Rose as an eighteen-year-old getting so drunk at a party and waking up in some guys bed not knowing how she got there.”</p><p>“I’d kill the bastard that… Fuck…”  Recognition dawned across Ron’s face.</p><p>“Now you get it.  And we all celebrated them getting back together.”  Saying the words out loud filled her again with a sense of disgust at her own insensitivity. </p><p>“That’s… I saw him trying to sneak out of the house that morning.  I told how happy I was about the two of them.  I even teased him about mum finding out about him spending the night in Gin’s room.  Why didn’t he just tell me?”</p><p>“Would you have? Besides, I don’t think he even realised that what had happened was all that wrong at first.  He said Malfoy was the one who pointed it out to him.  Harry may have said it was the Diagon Incident was the critical event in writing the inevitable future, but I don’t think it was.  I think it was us selfishly overlooking that Harry hadn’t made the decision to get back together with Ginny that really stopped him trusting us.  I think it was then he that moved from hiding the truth because he was scared of what we would think, to actively lying and manipulating to keep his relationship with Malfoy a secret.  He didn’t choose to get back together with her.”</p><p>“It doesn’t make me like him any better.  Nor Malfoy.  He may not have chosen to get back together with her, but he absolutely chose to stay with her after we all assumed that was what happened.  They used Ginny, and whatever happened that night, I don’t think Ginny could have realised how drunk he was, you said you didn’t.  She won’t have meant to have done it.  I know that doesn’t make it any better of a thing to have happened, but she’s my sister and I refuse to believe that she did it on purpose.  You’re right shouldn’t have acted how we did at the time, but Harry went along with it.  He didn’t tell us he had no desire to be with Ginny, instead he proposed, and they were married less than a year later.”</p><p>“I suppose you’re right.  It doesn’t change the awful things Harry did, just because something awful happened to him, and it doesn’t make me feel any better trying to think like that.  I wish I could apologise, but I don’t think he’s going to give me a chance to do that.  I wouldn’t be surprised if we never hear from him again.”  She felt like crying but knew it wouldn’t do any good.  Instead she pulled her husbands arms around her.  She felt almost as conflicted as she had before she started, but at least she was no longer alone in her confusion.  Ron was soon lightly snoring, but for her sleep still didn’t come easily.</p><p> </p><p>______________________</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I think I need to show the Weasleys some of mine and Draco’s life together over the last fifteen years.”  Harry said.  Draco knew this wasn’t a spur of the moment decision, but one he’d come to the slowly over the two weeks that had passed since he’d visited the Burrow.  Harry had thrown several ideas at him, each as ridiculous as the last, the many times they’d talked about this.  Each time Draco had tried to reassure him that it didn’t matter, but Harry was determined. </p><p>Harry and Draco were out for dinner in Paris with Blaise and Pansy.  All of them were wearing glamours to avoid unwanted public attention.  Blaise and Pansy didn’t always bother with them, normally only caring about not being recognised when in England, but sometimes it was just easier to look like someone else.  For Draco and Harry, being disguised when outside of their house, was just part of their routine.</p><p>“Why?  What is that going to change?”  Pansy asked.  They’d told their two best friends about what had happened at the Burrow the day after they’d gotten back, along with Teddy.  It had been a night of far too much drinking, and them forgetting that they were with a seventeen-year-old.  Draco was decidedly glad that Andi and his mother were away, there would have been no way to hide that they had not only let Teddy get intoxicated but had actually been drinking with him.  They were really very irresponsible surrogate parents sometimes, but Draco was glad that Teddy had been there with them that evening.  Not only because it gave Teddy a chance to relax a little, which he desperately needed, but also because they didn’t keep secrets from their boy and Harry seemed to feel less conflicted about his own guilt when Teddy was there.  After about a week of enjoying time with mostly just the three of them;  chilling by the pool when Harry got his way, sightseeing for Draco, and one memorable day when Teddy had dragged them, along with Pansy and Blaise, to a theme park and they’d all behaved like teenagers for eight hours; they had told Teddy he needed to go and have some fun of his own, and not hanging out with two thirty somethings.  Draco had told Teddy to take some of his friends to his private beach and enjoy himself.  Once Teddy had gone though, Harry had started obsessing over finding some way to make it up to the Weasleys. </p><p>“Well short of going back in time and not walking out, which even if it were possible, I wouldn’t do, I don’t think anything is actually going to change how they feel about me.  But I think a lot of their anger has to do with the lack of trust I showed them.  Especially when I wouldn’t share where we live.”</p><p>“As you had every right to do.”  Pansy snorted.</p><p>“I know I did.   And I stand by my decision.  But it didn’t make me feel good that I didn’t want to tell them.  Just like it probably didn’t make them feel great to think they’ve been replaced by you snakes.”</p><p>“We do make rather excellent replacements.” Blaise teased.</p><p>“That you do, Zabini.  Although I think Tori and Theo are even better, it’s just a shame that they couldn’t find a babysitter and we had to make do with second best this evening.”  Harry grinned wickedly.  Draco sighed, he supposed it was good that Harry wasn’t wallowing right now, but his and Blaise’s antics sometimes got a bit much, and he could see where this was going.</p><p>“Oi, they don’t hold a candle to us.  If you’re not careful, you’ll end up with that bottle of wine you’re currently pouring yourself a glass from, being emptied over your head.”</p><p>“You’ll do nothing of the sort Blaise.” Draco chastised.  “This wine is far too good to be wasted on ruining my husband’s suit.  If you really feel the need to act like a child, then please order a bottle of house or some soup to throw at him.”</p><p>“Some support you are, love.”  Harry muttered.  “You don’t need to throw anything at me Blaise, you know you and Pansy are the best and we wouldn’t swap you for anyone.”</p><p>“That’s more like it, Potter.  Really you should be worshiping me for how fantastic a friend I am.  Who else would have opened his home to the poor Gryffindor escaping the cold hostile horror of England so he could run away with the love of his life?”</p><p>“Prat.”  Harry said, chucking a half-eaten bread roll at Blaise’s head.  Blaise retaliated with an olive.  Draco rolled his eyes and ignored the two of them, although he did move the bottle of wine away from both of their reaches.  Food fights were not an uncommon occurrence, even when they were out for dinner.  The two of them enjoyed them far too much, even though they were in their 30s now and supposed to be grownups.  This was how their friendship worked.  The pattern having established itself right from the first day.</p><p>“Children.  Stop it before one of the staff comes over to kick out.  Besides, Harry was trying to tell us something and I was actually interested.” Pansy scolded. Draco was glad for the intervention, even if it meant returning to the topic he wasn’t particularly pleased to discuss.  It was important to Harry, and therefore important to him, even if he didn’t like it much.  “Harry, continue.”   </p><p>“Okay, well the thing is, this was pretty much the only thing I could come up with that I could actually live with.  I don’t want to put myself through trying to rebuild a friendship.  I’m not letting them know how to contact me.  I’m certainly not going to leave Draco and pretend all of this was a huge mistake.  So it’s either leave it alone, and do nothing, or try this.  The worst that could happen is that it doesn’t change how they feel, because I don’t think they can think any worse of me, but as I’m not going to give them a way to let them tell me what they think, I don’t see how that matters.  It’s not a great plan, but it’s all I’ve got, and I want to try.”</p><p>They all sat in contemplative silence.  Draco was the first one to speak.  Despite his reservations he had spent a lot of time thinking about this too, and he knew where his priorities lay.  They lay with whatever made Harry happiest.</p><p>“Harry, if this is what you want to do and what you think is best, I will support you.  If you wanted the two of us to go see them together, I would do that.  Even if you wanted me to go see them alone to try and explain, if you thought that would make you feel better, then I would do it for you.  Fuck, if you wanted me to dance naked in the middle of Diagon Alley then we would come up with a way to make it work, although I would have some reservations about your sanity and the amount of influence Blaise has on you” </p><p>“Now that sounds like an idea.”  Blaise interjected, and Draco knew he’d made a mistake with his last point.  Making irreverent comments like that never ended well for him when Blaise could hear.</p><p>“Blaise…” Draco tried to chastise, hoping but not expecting the idea to be dropped.</p><p>“Actually I have to agree with him.  That sounds like fun.  Do you think we could?”  Harry said.  Draco could feel his control of the situation slipping away.</p><p>“Harry you’re getting off topic again.  Pansy back me up on this.” </p><p>“Nope.  You suggested it.  You know what they’re like.  Besides, it would make a great photo for the album.”</p><p>“Fuck.”  There was no winning now, with all three of them against him.</p><p>“Next weekend then.  The four of us.  Do think we can work the spells to be able to do it in the middle of the day or will we have to wait until the place is empty?”</p><p>“I’m not doing it when there are other people there, even if they couldn’t see us.”  Draco replied, he had to draw the line somewhere.</p><p>“Does that mean you just agreed?”  Harry looked ridiculously happy at the idea.</p><p>“You’re all awful people.” Draco slumped in his chair in resignation.</p><p>“But you love us.”  Harry said coyly.</p><p>“I love you, you giant wanker.  The other two I tolerate.  Just.”</p><p>“You love us too.” Pansy and Blaise chorused and laughed at Draco’s scowl.</p><p>The conversation had been lost from the moment it had started.  How many times over the years had he managed to be dragged into these hairbrained schemes, although this was probably the most insane, and certainly the most frivolous.   Most of the time his standard charm and potion combo upgrade was enough of a disguise, but this would probably take the high strength version they used when he and Harry went to Kings Cross to see Teddy off at the station each year, or at any of the events when Harry was going to be in large public gatherings.  It was a nightmare to make, which was why they only used it on special occasions. </p><p>“Fine I love all of you, even though I’m going to have to spend the whole week brewing enough of the privacy potion to work this.  Now let’s get back to the actual important issue.  Harry, how do you plan on actually achieving letting them know about our lives.  I’m assuming you’re not going to send them actual memories.”</p><p>“Not even I’m that much of an idiot, Love.  I was thinking about sending them some of the souvenirs from our travels, you know, like the postcards I used to buy them.  Maybe even some copies of our photos.”</p><p>“You should send them your books.” Blaise suggested.  “You should send them some things that are just about you, that don’t involve the rest of us.”</p><p>They batted ideas around like this for a little while, some sensible, others frankly ludicrous.  Harry was feeling more optimistic about the whole ridiculous scheme.  It ended up being a decidedly pleasant meal, and conversation until, over dessert, Pansy came up with another idea.</p><p>“I think there’s something else you could do.  It would be risky, but I think it might actually let you know a little bit of what your Weasleys, and maybe even the rest of the idiots in Britain, feel about you and your life now.”</p><p>“You’re not suggesting…?” Draco narrowed his eyes at Pansy.  He didn’t like this turn of conversation.  Their invisibility to the public and press was the mainstay of their lives.  The one rule that was not broken.  It was one thing letting the Weasleys see Harry once and sending them some untraceable gifts, it was another entirely to purposefully allow the press to catch sight of him.  But that was the only thing Pansy could be suggesting.</p><p>“That Harry let’s himself be seen.  Yes.  Probably not with you dear, we don’t want to cause a riot, but maybe by himself or with Teddy at first.  Someone non-controversial.  Then maybe with some of the rest of us.  The press will certainly be all over it, and we might be able to learn more about how the public feel about Harry Potter and his nasty Slytherin friends.  The chances are, if you’re seen, the Weasley’s will end up being interviewed, that way you might get to see if your little gifts change the way they actually think of you.” </p><p>Draco knew Pansy was right about this being the only way to get information, whilst keeping their lives distant from everyone else.  Still he wanted to object.  Wanted to come up with some kind of definitive reason not to do this.  Not to risk their bubble of happiness.   Before he could come up with anything even vaguely coherent, Harry spoke.</p><p>“Sneaky, Pans.  Very Slytherin of you.  I’m not sure.  It could go horribly wrong.  Anyone seen with me would likely be jumped on by the papers too. I don’t think I could do that to you guys.”</p><p>“Draco will just have to promise us unlimited access to his glamours so we can go out and not be bothered when we want to.  Having to use them a little more frequently is hardly that much of chore.  You and Draco do it every time you leave the house, even in the village.  We wouldn’t need to go quite that far.  If we had to use the traditional spells, sure it would be a bit inconvenient, but even then, it would be worth it.  I, for one, want to see what people say if your seen with us.” </p><p>Draco thought Pansy looked far too smug as she was saying this, but he could see Harry becoming increasingly enamoured with the idea.</p><p>“If you’re sure.”  Harry asked, and there was a barely contained smile starting to spread across his face.</p><p>“I’m sure” Pansy replied before turning to her not husband, in whom Draco had no hope about him answering in anyway but in favour of the insane plan. “You Blaise?”</p><p>“Absolutely.  It’ll be fun.  We can get a nice betting circle set up.  In fact, I’ll bet you 10 galleons that the first time you appear in public with me and Pans at least one paper will be speculating about how we’ve brainwashed you into being a sex slave within our harem.  Also that Teddy is your love child and that you tragically and heroically sacrificed your entire happiness and future to care for him according to the wishes of his mother’s will.”  Draco had to admit to himself, as far as the Prophet was concerned at least, his suggestions weren’t too far-fetched.  He’d kept a collection of the articles about Harry over the years, they made for an amusing scrap book, and none of the suggestions made had been any more ridiculous than Blaise’s.</p><p>“Enough of that Blaise, although I’ll take you up on the love child one.  It won’t be because I’m a tragic hero.  I will have been keeping him secret in order to not deal with the shame of a short-lived affair with a veela straight after the war.  I’m sure he’ll agree to make himself look like a half veela if I ask him to.  Draco, love.  How about you?”</p><p>Harry turned towards him anxiously, clearly not wanting Draco to put his foot down about this.  The expression on Harry’s face made Draco want to lean into him, bury his head into his husband’s shoulder, and pull his arms around him.  He wished they were back at home in their house not thinking about changing anything.  That the painful knot of anxiety this whole idea had caused would go away.   </p><p>“I’m not sure.  Not sure at all.”  Draco said in a small voice, not wanting to look at any of his companions.  Warm arms wrapped around him and he found himself being pulled onto Harry’s lap.  Draco relished the feel of his husband and stayed silent.  The others all stay quiet too, knowing that Draco needed time to think, and needed this comfort to do it.  If he hadn’t known Harry so well, thought all the talk of bets about what the papers would say would have made Draco think Harry wasn’t taking this seriously enough.  He’d come round to Pansy’s way of thinking far too quickly, and Blaise wasn’t helping, not that he ever did when it came to encouraging Harry to behave recklessly.  Harry was the only one of their group of friends who would go along with Blaise’s more wild ideas.  Everyone else had more sense.  But there was something in the look of longing in Harry’s eyes.  Harry really wanted this.  They’d had fifteen years of their bubble life, and maybe it was about time they stepped out of the shadows.  Harry had gone into hiding for Draco.  Their lives were full and wonderful.  They had great friends, did pretty much whatever they wanted, went wherever they wanted, but there was always the tension of staying hidden.  He just had to think back to Teddy’s reaction when he’d accidentally outed them to Granger to see that.  And that was part of the problem.  It wasn’t just him and Harry in their bubble, they’d dragged others into it too, other’s that loved them, and made their lives happy and perfect, but others who were affected by the secret all the same.  However frightening the thought of trying to leave the bubble was, Harry wanted it.  If it could be done slowly and carefully, then it could work, he just had to keep his husband from doing anything too outrageous when he appeared in public.  It could actually be good for them.   He shifted so he could see Blaise and Pansy again, but remained on Harry’s lap, his husband’s arms tight around him.  He tried to answer as nonchalantly as possible, as if he hadn’t spent the last five minutes in a state of obvious distress.  “We should do it.  Pansy’s right, this is probably the only way we’re going to have any real idea of what people think.  We shouldn’t rush into this though, and we need to make sure that anyone who might be affected is okay with it and we don’t accidentally reveal more than we want….” He turned to look directly at Harry then and grinned at him, and was rewarded with a wide, beautiful smile in return.  He changed his expression to a smirk, before adding.  “But you’re telling mother and Andi, Potter.”</p><p>The look of horror that ran across Harry’s face in reaction to this made Draco laugh.  Pansy and Blaise soon joined in, followed shortly by Harry, caught up in the mirth of his friends, the previous tension at the table disappearing. </p><p>“Fine” Harry said, a little breathlessly, between giggles.  “I’ll make sure Cissa and Andi know this isn’t your idea and that it’s me and Pans they should be getting cross at.  I can blame Blaise too if it helps.” And Harry stuck his tongue out at the man.  “We will do this as slowly and you will have absolute veto power over any idea we have about where and who I should be seen with.  Also there will be no talking to journalists.  No comment all the way. Now I think we’ve had enough scheming about me, and we should get back to scheming about our Diagon dance party.”</p><p>In all the turmoil over the idea of Harry appearing in public Draco had forgotten their earlier scheme and groaned.  There was no escaping the fact that his husband was a monumental prat sometimes.  He just happened to be the prat he loved.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So I've finished my insane two weeks of studying and hopefully will be able to get the last couple of chapters written and up over the next week or so.  I think there are just two chapters left, but it depends on how long they end up being.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Goodbye and Hello</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hermione and Draco each learn in their own ways to fogive, forget and move on.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So I got over my writers block.  I'm sorry if the grammar is patchy in places but I need to recheck through it again really but probably won't get a chance till the weekend and now I've finished the thing I want to get it up and see what people think.  I have a short epilogue written that I will either have up later this evening, or at somepoint tomorrow.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I think I’m going to be sick ‘Mione.” Ron said, with a nauseated sounding swallow.</p><p>“Well it’s your own fault for drinking so much last night.  You will get no sympathy from me, darling.  Go grab a hangover potion from the bathroom if you really feel that bad.”</p><p>Hermione didn’t feel too great herself, but she wasn’t going to tell Ron that.  Molly and Arthur had taken the kids off them for the night and they’d both drunk a bit more than usual at Dean’s New Year’s party.  It had been nice to let loose and not to be a parent for the night.  She thought about asking Ron to grab her a potion as well when he got up and stumbled up the stairs to the bathroom but decided against it.  Instead she made do with a very large cup of coffee.  She made Ron a cup too, then proceeded to make the two of them a cooked breakfast.  They still had a few kid free hours left, and breakfast with her husband seemed like a good way to spend them.  Maybe they could share a shower after and spend a little time together in bed if they had time.  The morning paper arrived whilst she was cooking.  Ron had paid the owl then slumped off to the living room to read, leaving her to finish up the cooking alone in the blissful quiet of the kitchen.  Her peaceful morning was disturbed far too soon for her liking though.</p><p>“’Mione!”  A shout came from the living room.  “Hermione.  Come here. Quickly.  I can’t fucking believe it.”</p><p>Hermione groaned.  What could Ron want now?  “I’m just about to start the eggs, can’t it wait five minutes.”  She called back.</p><p>“No it bloody well can’t.”  Ron had come back to the kitchen waving the paper. “Use a stasis spell.  You have to see this.  Now.”</p><p>Ron thrust the paper into her hands.  When she saw the lead article, she promptly forgot all about breakfast.</p><p>
  <em>Harry Potter seen for the first time in over 15 years.</em>
</p><p>She made her way, absent minded, to one of the chairs and sat, looking at the picture and the accompanying article.  The picture below the headline was of Teddy Lupin running to greet Harry at an airport and throwing his arms around him.  The article itself rehashed the story about Harry’s disappearance as well as speculating on why he disappeared in the first place.  The theories this time mostly focused on Teddy.  It seemed no one knew who he was, not many people knew Harry had a Godson, and the Teddy in the photo looked a lot like Harry.  The heterochromatic eyes of the young man were glinting in delight.  The hair may have been blonde, the same blonde as Malfoy’s, if her memory of the boy from school were to be trusted, but it had the same messy curls as Harry’s.  There were no comments from either Harry or Teddy in the article and both of them had managed to disappear without a trace from the airport.</p><p>“Why do you think he did that?”  Hermione asked once she’d read the article three times through.</p><p>“Not a bloody clue.”  He husband answered, unhelpfully.</p><p>“It had to have been a decision to be seen.  I’m guessing he doesn’t leave his home too often, and certainly not without the invisibility cloak, or at least a glamour – although those are pretty fallible and limited, especially when you’re Harry Potter and so much of the wizarding world would recognise you and could potentially see through your disguise.  He must have some reason for doing this <em>now</em>.”</p><p>“Probably.  We’re not likely to find out though, are we.” Ron replied, putting a full plate of breakfast in front of her.  She hadn’t noticed him finishing the cooking.  She didn’t feel much like eating after reading the article, however.  Her husband sat opposite her and began to dig in, his appetite unaffected by Harry’s surprise appearance in the press.  He’d relaxed significantly about the whole Harry issue over the last several months since Harry had turned up on the doorstep of the Burrow.  She thought it was probably understanding the reasons for Harry running that had helped him deal with everything.  Along with the chance to hit Harry and let out his frustrations.  She may not have liked that her husband had resorted to violence, but she was infinitely glad that some of the resentment towards Harry that had been there for years had gone.  She knew Ron still felt hurt at being abandoned all those years ago, but having an explanation helped him keep his temper in check whenever something to do with Harry came up.  She was sure that if this article had appeared before that day, Ron would have incendioed the paper before spending the rest of the day raging. </p><p>“I guess not, and I suppose it doesn’t really matter.  The sodding press are going to be asking all of us for comments now, aren’t they?”</p><p>“Yup.” Ron said with his mouth full.  “We need to warn the rest of the family, although they’ve probably already seen.”</p><p>“Christ does Harry know how to make a mess for us.”</p><p>“He’s been doing it since he was eleven.  Why would he stop now?”</p><p>“Well there goes our relaxing morning.  We should get dressed and head over to your parents.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>__________________________</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The entire Weasley family were at the Burrow for Ron’s birthday.  Molly had outdone herself with food.  The cake, in particular, was delicious.  A spectacular creation of chocolate and coffee layers.  All the adults were sat in the living room, enjoying their food comas and post dinner coffees, whilst the kids were playing some overly loud game upstairs, when the knock of an owl came from the window.  Arthur waved his wand to let the bird in, and three owls, carrying a box between them, flew to where Ron and Hermione were sitting. </p><p>“You expecting another present, Ron?” Bill asked.</p><p>“No.  I’ve no idea who it’s from.”  Ron replied.</p><p>“I think I might have an idea.”  Hermione had spotted the note.  Like the others before it, the outside was blank, but the paper was familiar, and it left her with a feeling of apprehension.</p><p>“Harry?”  Ginny guessed.</p><p>“I think so.” She replied, as she opened the envelope. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Happy Birthday, Ron.  This present isn’t for you though.  It’s for your children.  I know they like these ones.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>H.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>She stared at the few short sentences, unable to really take in what they said.  Eventually she found her voice again. </p><p>“Ron, I think you should open the box. It’s from Harry.  He wished you a Happy Birthday and says that the present is for the kids.  It won’t be dangerous.”  Hermione was quite certain that Harry wouldn’t send anything that could hurt them, at least not physically, and she was curious as to what he thought the children would like.</p><p>“What if the ferret sent it?”  Despite his more relaxed attitude towards Harry, Ron still hated Malfoy.  She didn’t think even if Malfoy were involved in sending the parcel, he would do anything to them.  What would be the point?  She said as much.</p><p>“It’s Harry’s writing on the note, and what reason do either of them have to hurt us.  It’s not like we went and blabbed their entire story at New Year when the press was all over us.”</p><p>They’d had three weeks of being pestered by the print media after Harry’s bizarre public appearance.  The family had decided as a whole not to say anything, knowing that they would only increase the pressure on them if they did.  Eventually the journalists had given up.</p><p>“Fine I’ll open it.” Ron said, sullenly.  Hermione snorted; she could tell her husband was as curious as she was about this. </p><p>Inside the box was a series of books.  A series she recognised.  Harry was right about her children liking them.  Rose in particular was obsessed and had dragged Hermione to a book signing in London when the last one came out a year ago.  They were published in the muggle world, but there was something about the magic that felt realistic in them.  What she couldn’t work out was why Harry would have sent them these.  They already had copies of all of them anyway, though he wouldn’t know that.  Ron passed her over the first in the series and she flicked it open.  There were a few differences between the battered, well read, copies in Rosie’s room and these copies.  For a start these were all first editions, and secondly, they were all signed.  The signature in the one she was holding was the same as the one in the copy of the sixth book up in Rosie’s room, that her daughter treasured.  A beautifully flourished Evan James.  Hermione dragged her thumb over the dedication as she thought.</p><p>
  <em>To my friends, who I love and who supported me through the tough times.  Even though I can’t be with you now, know that you still mean the world to me.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t we have all of these, ‘Mione?” Ron asked, looking confused, distracting her from her train of thought.</p><p>“Yes.”  She replied without looking up, trying to put together the disparate pieces of information that had almost tied themselves together before Ron had interrupted her.</p><p>“Merlin, I love this one.” Hermione heard Ginny say from the other side of the room, holding the third in the series in her hand.  “The scene where a troll attacks them in the swimming pool changing rooms is my favourite in the whole series.”</p><p>Hermione remembered reading that passage to Rose for the first time, then telling her about how her and Ron had become friends after battling a troll in the Hogwarts bathrooms all those years ago.  The scene from the book had been so similar, but not quite.  There were other scenes like that, now she thought about it.  The whole fifth book had been about Fred Wolfstar rescuing his best friend from the bottom of a giant lake.  The inspiration could only be the sodding second task from fourth year.  Evan James wasn’t exactly a subtle pseudonym either, not if you really thought about it.  Did that mean the dedication was meant for her and Ron?  She could feel tears welling up in her eyes. </p><p>“’Mione, what’s wrong?”  Ron’s arms were around her, pulling her tight into a hug.  Everyone else had stopped passing round the books and was now looking at her confused and worried, but she didn’t care.</p><p>“Harry…” She managed to sob out.</p><p>“Yes, he sent us some signed first editions of a series of children’s book.  I don’t understand why you’ve suddenly come over so upset.”  He said, gently stroking her back.</p><p>“They’re Harry’s books.”</p><p>“He sent us his copies.  Well that’s just weird and these all look brand new and untouched.  Besides why would he own a bunch of children’s books.”</p><p>“No, Harry wrote them.  I’m sure of it.”  Her frustration at Ron’s misunderstanding was helping her get over the tears.</p><p>“But didn’t you go see Evan James at his book signing last year.  He wasn’t Harry and you would have seen through any disguise.”</p><p>“That isn’t important, I’m sure he wrote them. My guess is he hires someone to be Evan James in public.  I suppose he could use Polyjuice, but the whole thing lasted a lot longer than an hour and I don’t think he could have gotten away with drinking from a private flask, like fake Moody did, at a children’s book signing.  Harry might have been there though, which would explain why he knew that the kids liked his books.”</p><p>“Fuck that’s weird to think about.  That he could have seen you and the kids without us knowing.”</p><p>“But that’s not the point.  He’s telling us something with this.  The dedication in the first book.  It’s for us.  I know it’s for us.  He’s a bastard but he still cared.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>_______________</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Flicking through the photo album Draco had to smile.  The pictures of their life together were a testament to the fact that they hadn’t let living in hiding hold them back.  The album he was currently looking at held some of their adventures with Pansy and Blaise.  He couldn’t help the chuckle that came out when he came across one particular photo.</p><p>“What you laughing at, Love?”  Harry said.</p><p>“Just a photo you are absolutely not copying for the Weasleys.”  Draco said handing over the album so Harry could see.  It was the page dedicated to their Diagon Alley escapade.  They’d gotten ridiculously drunk that day wondering through the hub of wizarding shopping in England.  They’d kept their clothes on, most of the time, but once the place had been mostly deserted, they’d held their little dance party in their underwear in the middle of the street.  Things had only gotten more chaotic from there.  Draco still can’t remember who suggested breaking into the Ministry, but that was where they had ended up.  Both couples had ended up completely naked in the fountain in the foyer splashing water at each other.  The particular picture that had amused Draco was of him and Harry kissing under the flowing water.  How they hadn’t gotten caught was a complete mystery and was probably due to a great deal of luck.  It had been a fantastic day, however. </p><p>“Christ, how drunk were we to let ourselves do that?”  Harry looked up from the photo back to Draco.</p><p>“Blaise was buying the drinks.”  It was always Blaise’s fault when things got out of control, so it was a fair bet that it was him that had been to blame for them getting hammered that day.</p><p>“That explains it.  You’re right about this photo going in the just for us pile.  I don’t think the Weasleys need to see your gorgeous arse in quite that much detail, nor would they appreciate the image of your hand around my cock where more than one of them work.”  Harry said.  Draco snorted as he pictured the look on Weasley’s face if he ever saw this photo.  He was fairly certain none of the Weasley’s knew about Harry’s exhibitionist streak.  The problem with having a supply of glamours that made you unrecognisable and unnoticeable, meant that eventually you started to play around with them.  Or at least you did if you were Harry Potter and had Blaise encouraging you into irresponsibility and a husband that always caved when you wanted something. </p><p>“No they don’t.” Draco sighed eventually.  “It’s bad enough that Blaise and Pansy got to witness us getting that out of control in public.”</p><p>“They were pretty out of control themselves.  Besides, it’s nothing they haven’t seen before.  How many times has Blaise managed to walk in on us now?  You’d think he did it on purpose.  There is also the never to be spoken about hot tub incident.  You can’t have forgotten about that.  We all got to see each other getting a little more intimate than I ever imagined that night.”</p><p>“Like I could forget that.  It was the night I proposed.”</p><p>“It was certainly an interesting way to celebrate.  You looked too gorgeous to keep my hands off you and I was incredibly happy.  So what if I temporarily ignored the fact that we weren’t alone.  It wasn’t like Pans and Blaise were complaining.”</p><p>“Harlot.”</p><p>“You love me though.”</p><p>“You know I do.  And I love our ridiculous friends too, even if I have seen them both naked more times than I care to remember.  You however, I could spend the whole of my life just staring at your bare arse.”  It was true.  Draco could never grow tired of Harry.  He could see desire in Harry’s expression as he looked at him, and knew his own eyes were full of the same heat.</p><p>“I think we’ve had enough looking through photos for today, don’t you?”</p><p>“I can certainly think of another way to spend a lazy afternoon.”</p><p> </p><p>They abandoned the photos and Draco dragged Harry to his feet and upstairs to the bedroom.  Picking through their lives together to find good memories to send to the Weasleys was hard work.  They didn’t want to send anything that could be interpreted as them shoving their happiness in their face, but still wanted to convey the fact that they had a good life.  It was about letting them see the missing years.  They planned to send the postcards next.  At Christmas.  But Harry also wanted to find some photos to go with them, maybe from the holidays that the postcards represented.  They also needed to plan another public appearance for Harry.  Blaise and Pansy wanted to be involved in the next one, but Draco thought it would be better for Harry to appear alone.  Harry didn’t care either way.  When they reached the bedroom, regrettably all the thoughts going round Draco’s head had rather killed the mood for him.  He slumped face down in the middle of their bed, feeling a headache starting. </p><p>“Draco, love.  What’s wrong.”  Harry said, rubbing his shoulders.  “Five minutes ago I could have sworn we were heading up here to have sex, and now when we get here you look ill.”</p><p>“I think I’m just stressed.”</p><p>“Can I help?” Harry asked, moving his fingers to massage Draco’s head.</p><p>“You always help.  Mmmm.  That feels nice.”</p><p>“It’s the whole Weasley thing, and letting myself be seen, isn’t it?”  Draco could hear the guilt in Harry’s voice.  “I know you don’t like it, and if you want it to stop you just have to say.”</p><p>“I don’t like it.  But that’s just because I want to protect you from everything.  I know I can’t do that.  Or at least I can’t do that by stopping you doing things that are important to you.”</p><p>“You do protect me.  Without your countless hours working on ways to stay hidden in public we never would have been able to have the freedom we enjoy.  You encouraged me to write my sodding books, to have a career I enjoy instead of wasting away hidden at home.  You made me go to a fucking therapist, so I actually got a chance to deal with the fact that I was a child forced to fight in a war.  Those are all ways of protecting me without stopping me being who I want to be.”</p><p>Draco rolled over and looked up at Harry.  He reached up to his husband’s face and pulled him down into a kiss.  “I really love you.  I’m just scared of what will happen next.  That things will change.”</p><p>“I love you too, and that isn’t going to change.  Nothing could change that.  We’ve had our ups and downs over the years.  You’re still a sodding prickly prat that I want to hex six ways from Sunday sometimes.  But this isn’t me trying to escape you.  This is us trying to expand our universe.  This is so Teddy doesn’t have to live with a knot of anxiety about revealing our secret.  This is so you can finally show the world what a fucking genius you are with the potions and spells you can’t sell with the way things are.  This is so I can show you off as the amazing person I know you are, and the rest of the world deserves to see.”</p><p>“You’re far too sentimental for your own good, Harry Potter.”</p><p>“Do you feel better though?”</p><p>“Yes.” Draco said, trying to sound as disgruntled as possible, even though Harry’s words had really helped.  “You could carry on with that rather nice massage though.  There’s some oil in the bathroom.  I think you touching me was doing far more work than your little speech.”</p><p> </p><p>_______________________</p><p> </p><p>The next package came at Christmas.  There had been another photo in papers about three weeks before, of Harry out shopping with Andromeda in the Berlin Christmas markets.  Again it had caused wild speculation and more than a few press intrusions on the Weasleys’ lives.  They had responded in the same way as before and ignored it.  Now they were all sat opening presents on Christmas morning when an unfamiliar owl turned up and dropped a package on Hermione’s lap, when they opened the window, before flying off.  The note simply wished them a Happy Christmas.  Inside the parcel was a photo album, but rather than photos, it was mostly filled with postcards.  All of them with short messages written to Ron and Hermione over the years.  The messages weren’t particularly deep or meaningful, just comments about how he’d spent his days on holiday.  The earliest postcard was from about a month after Harry’s disappearance and ran through to about just less than a year ago.  There were a few photos scattered in amongst the postcards, mostly of Harry by himself at the various tourist attractions, although there were two where Malfoy was also in the photo.  It was strange seeing Harry together with Malfoy.  The highest concentration of postcards seemed to be clustered in that first six months.  The accompanying photos showed Harry slowly getting healthier.  The two photos with Malfoy in were from that time period as well, one right at the start and one with the two of them on a beach together labelled as from September 2000.  Malfoy looked as ill as Harry in the first photo, but he had also recovered on what she could only guess from the number of places they seemed to have visited was a world tour.  The two of them, even when they both looked dreadful, appeared completely at peace with each other.  It was a strange present, all things considered, but then so were the books.  It was another glimpse into the life Harry had had after he’d left.  It was another way of letting them know that he never actually forgot them.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The pattern continued.  There would be occasional sightings of Harry and the papers would go mad trying to work out what he’d been doing for the last years.  He would never comment.  Mostly he was with Teddy, or alone.  There was a lovely one of him and Andromeda with Teddy in Rome.   After several of these he started appearing with the Slytherins.  This was when the papers really went wild.  Hermione was beginning to understand more and more what Harry was doing though.  These sightings of him were calculated.  Not one of them was an accident. It was after one of him and the youngest Greengrass girl, who married Theo Nott, with him holding a baby and laughing with them, that she really started to get it.  Unlike the first appearance, this wasn’t a test for the Weasleys personally.   This was a test for the public.  He wanted to know how they would react to him being friends with people who were associated with the other side of the war.  It was the empty chair next to Harry that gave it away.  Even though Draco Malfoy hadn’t been pictured yet, she was certain that he was there.  That Harry wasn’t doing this alone.  The papers initially seemed shocked about Harry being seen with the Slytherins, but after the third or fourth time they ran out of new things to say and the photos moved from the front page to somewhere in the middle.  That none of them had managed to get an interview with anyone connected was probably not helping the journalists keep interest in their articles about Harry.  The Weasleys continued refusing to comments, and so, by all appearances, did Harry’s other friends.</p><p>There were also presents every Christmas.   Each of them giving them some new insight into Harry’s life with Malfoy.  It was mostly very carefully put together photo albums, although they’d also received a few souvenirs from the countless holidays Harry and Malfoy seemed to take.  The souvenirs were obviously bought for them at the time, the same as the postcards he’d written.  They just hadn’t received them before now.  It was the photo albums that told her about Harry’s life though.  Unlike the first album, where she was sure Harry had purposefully selected only to include two photos of him and Draco, the later albums contained more photos of him, as well as the other Slytherins they were friends with.  There was also usually some kind of theme to the pictures.   The album they’d received the 5<sup>th</sup> year of this strange communication had been focused on Teddy.  She couldn’t help but smile at one picture of Harry, a very young Teddy, and Draco, the three of them curled up together in their pyjamas surrounded by Christmas wrapping paper.  The most surprising one in that album, however, was of Harry, Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy and Andromeda, stood with Teddy at Kings Cross on Teddy’s first day at Hogwarts.  She had no idea how they pulled that one off without getting caught.  The 6<sup>th</sup> year was Draco and Harry’s wedding.  The wedding itself was small but beautiful, but what stood out to her were the guests. She couldn’t help but love that Harry and Malfoy had had house elves as guests.  She would never have thought the Draco Malfoy she remembered would have deemed it suitable to have creatures as welcome guests at his wedding.  But that is what they were.  There was a photo of them all throwing sparkling confetti with Harry and Malfoy laughing at them with such joy that she forgot that this was a photo of a person she hated and one that had abandoned her.  The 7th album was the most surprising of all.  It was the one of impossible photos.  She’d thought the Kings Cross photo from Teddy’s first year at Hogwarts must have been a fluke.  This album showed her that it wasn’t.  This album told her how they hid.  That they could walk down a crowded street anywhere in the world and not be recognised if they didn’t want to be.  There were more photos in Kings Cross, it appeared Harry and Draco always took Teddy back to school.  In one of them she could even see Bill and Fleur in the background taking little Victoire to the train station.  One in the Hogshead, visiting Teddy on a Hogsmeade weekend.  Seeing Harry apparently walking openly through areas of wizarding Britain weren’t the most shocking though.  It was a photo at a book signing that surprised her most.  One she had been too.  She remembered the photo being taken, and had her own copy framed on the wall from where it was published in the paper.  Rosie smiling in the front with the other children as her favourite author read a passage from his book.  There was just one major difference between the two photos.  In the one she had the man smiling in the centre of the group of children had sandy hair and was recognisable from the sleeves of his books as Evan James.  In the one Harry provided it was him in the centre.  There was no magical way she knew that made what she was seeing possible, but apparently it was, and Harry was trusting her and her family with this knowledge.</p><p> </p><p>The impossible album was the last one.  With each glimpse into Harry’s life she had forgiven Harry, just a little.  She didn’t know what was going to happen next, whether Harry would ever truly come back, but if he did, she would make sure it went differently from last time.  It was Rosie’s 17<sup>th</sup> Birthday.  They were celebrating at the Burrow.  Hermione couldn’t believe that her little girl was now of age.  It felt like only yesterday that she’d been born.  She was watching her grown up daughter talking excitedly to her grandfather when an unfamiliar owl came and dropped an envelope on Rosie’s lap and then flew to Hermione who took the letter off its leg.  She didn’t need to open it to know who it was from.  Still, other than the first year when the parcel had come on Ron’s birthday, everything they received arrived at Christmas.  It was only a few months later and here were two letters, one for her, and even more bizarrely, one for her daughter.  Rosie looked at her quizzically.  Hermione nodded that Rosie should open the letter before looking down at her own note. </p><p>
  <em>I set up this up the day I read about Rose’s birth in the paper.  It is for her education and future.  She won’t be able to access it until she’s 25.  I have done the same for Hugo.  My solicitors will contact you when he comes of age.  This is for every Birthday and Christmas.  For every happy and sad time I missed.  I was scared and selfish.  I was too much of a coward to tell you how unhappy I was.  To risk you rejecting me because of what I wanted.  I know things can never be what they were, but I hope you can try not to think too harshly of me. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I know this doesn’t make up for anything.  But it’s the best I can manage.  I did miss you and I did think of you, but it wasn’t enough.  I expect no forgiveness.  I’ve shown you everything I can of my life since I left now, and I won’t be in contact again.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>H.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>p.s. Here’s one last picture for your albums.  I trust you not to use it to find me.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>This picture is of Harry and Draco, a three-year-old Teddy held on Harry’s hip.  They are stood outside a large house smiling at each other.  On the back was written in the neat writing, the same writing as on the back of many of the photos that she assumed was Draco’s, <em>Tuscany, June 2001.  Our home.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Hermione couldn’t help the tears pouring down her face.  He’d shown them all the years they had missed.  He had told her how he stayed hidden. Finally, Harry had told them where he lived.  He was right about it not making any difference.  This wasn’t a declaration that he wanted to rekindle their friendship.  Whatever she might wish, they had missed more than twenty years now.  She didn’t know this Harry, and from his letter and actions she didn’t think he was willing to let them get to know him now.  He’d done all he could to try and ease the hurt, and it had worked.  It had helped.  Now he was saying goodbye.  The goodbye they should have gotten when he walked out the first time.  It hurt, but not as much.  Not anymore.</p><p>“What is it love.” Ron said reading the short letter over her shoulder.  “What has that bastard sent Rosie?”  There wasn’t any hurt or anger in his husband’s words though.  It was mostly curiosity and a slight hint of amusement.  He hadn’t poured over the photos that Harry had sent them, way she did, but they had still had a significant affect on him too.  He had also slowly realised that Harry hadn’t forgotten about them, and it had helped him realise that it wasn’t a personal insult to him that Harry had left.  Yes, they had been abandoned, but it wasn’t about them.  Ron had come to terms with it.  She had realised years ago that Ron had forgiven Harry a little, when the rage stopped after their talk the night when Harry had shown up, but it wasn’t until this moment that she truly grasped that Ron had actually made his peace with Harry leaving.</p><p>“I’m not sure.  I think you’ll need to ask Rose.”  Hermione replied, and turned towards their daughter.  She also wanted to know what Harry could have sent.</p><p>“It’s money.  It’s a lot of money.  I don’t even know what you do with this kind of money.  It’s a joke isn’t it.”  Rose sounded confused.</p><p>Hermione looked at the papers in Rosie’s hands and gasped at what she saw.  “I don’t think it is.”</p><p>“Give it here Rosie. Let me see.” Ron asked.</p><p>Ron took one look at the documents and managed to spit out the drink he’d just taken a mouthful of, spraying half the table.</p><p>“That unbelievable bastard.  That complete fucking bastard.”  Ron was shaking and crying with laughter.</p><p>“But I don’t even know Harry Potter.  Why would he give me this?”  Rosie still sounded incredibly confused.</p><p>Hermione answered her daughter gently.  Her children only really knew Harry Potter as the person who defeated Lord Voldemort, as someone they learnt about in school.  They knew that their parents had known him only from history books.  Neither Ron nor Hermione had ever felt up to talking to their children about him.  Now she had to say something. “Because once upon a time me and your Dad were his closest friends.  Because if things were different, he’d be here at this table with our family, celebrating you coming of age, like he was supposed to.”</p><p>“Do you think I’ll ever meet him?” Rosie asked.  Even if Rose had technically met him once, it wasn’t really Harry Potter she had met.  If the letter was to be believed, then there wasn’t a chance of her children ever knowing the person who had once been her best friend.  Before Hermione was able to speak her husband managed to get the words out.</p><p>“No, I don’t think so, honey.  We can tell you about him though.  We have a whole lifetime of memories and mementos of who Harry Potter really is.”</p><p>One night soon, they would sit down together as a family and go through all of the stories.  The ones from school and the war, of Harry leaving, of the missing years and the impossible photos.  It was all they could do to move forward from this point.  It was forgiveness.  And for Hermione it was enough.</p><p> </p><p>________________</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Harry and Draco were sat in the early April sun with Blaise and Pansy by the pool drinking and talking.  Harry had sent the last package off the Weasleys the day before.  It had been hard, but there really was nothing else for them to show the family.  The trusts were the last gift.  Harry had been more melancholy than usual that day, which was why Draco had suggested having their friends over.  Between them, Blaise and Pansy had quickly had Harry laughing, but Draco could tell something was still plaguing Harry’s mind. </p><p>“Love, you don’t need to pretend to be happy if you’re not.  Not with us.”  Draco said.</p><p>“I know I don’t.  And I am happy, it’s just a little strange that it’s done.  I still don’t know how they really feel about it.  I know they’ve kept everything secret, but not whether it made a difference.”</p><p>“I thought it didn’t matter if it made a difference?” Pansy asked.</p><p>“It wasn’t supposed to.”  Harry answered glumly.</p><p>“But it does, doesn’t it?”  Draco said, stroking his husband’s knee.  “I know you told them in the last note that you wouldn’t be in contact again, and for them not to contact you, but it doesn’t have to be the end if you don’t want it to be.”</p><p>“I know.  It’s better this way though.  I don’t want to get hurt again.”</p><p>It had been eight years, but still Harry felt the pain of his old friends’ rejection of him.  Whenever it came to the surface it made Draco wanted to storm straight to the Weasleys and let them know what they were doing to Harry, but it wouldn’t help.  It would do nothing but stir up more trouble.  Draco Malfoy was not welcome at the Burrow.  Wasn’t really welcome in England.  There was something he could do though.  Something he couldn’t imagine himself doing when they’d first started the public appearances.</p><p>“We should go back to England.  Just the two of us.  See Teddy.  And we should try without the glamours.  But we’re sticking to muggle places.”</p><p>The grin he got back off his husband let him know he’d made the right choice in talking about this now. </p><p>“You sure you’re ready Draco?” Blaise asked.</p><p>“Not at all.  But I’m never going to do it if I wait until I actually feel ready.  We can go back to the places we used to.  We were never seen there anyway, and this will test the waters.”</p><p>“It would be nice to go see some of those places again.”  Harry added.</p><p>Their visits to England over the years had been pretty limited and since almost getting caught that first time, always under the strongest charms they had.  They occasionally did some ridiculous things in England, and occasionally Scotland, but never risked being discovered as them. Even if they were caught behaving like idiots in Diagon Alley or some other equally public venue, no one would ever discover it was them, and they had the best solicitors, money could buy that could have gotten them out of any trouble.  They had also made a mutual but undiscussed decision never to visit their old haunts.  This would be cathartic for both of them.</p><p>“When do you want to go, Harry?”</p><p>“Soon.  Before the anniversary.  I want to be back out of England before that chaos kicks up.”</p><p>“You could always turn up at Hogwarts for the main event.” Blaise unhelpfully suggested.</p><p>“No!” Him and Harry said in unison.  At least they were in agreement on this.  That was definitely a step too far. </p><p>“No need to bite my head off guys.  No anniversary events for you.  Still it has been twenty-five years now.  The public and press seem to have gotten over themselves a little in the last few years.  The last photo they got of us all together, minus you Draco, only made page 5 of Witch Weekly.  It didn’t even appear in the Prophet.  Harry Potter hanging out with a bunch of Slytherins is old news.”</p><p>It was true.  The papers had mostly lost interest in Harry’s seemingly unseemly friendships with the Slytherins.  Particularly as all they ever seemed to do was sit and eat in restaurants or cafés, or take one of the children to the park, or go shopping.  It was all very boring and normal, which was how it was supposed look.  There were only so many times that they could publish the same thing over and over again and expect it to cause scandal.  The most controversial person he appeared with was Pansy, and even that was old news now.  Harry Potter didn’t care that she had tried to turn him over to the Dark Lord when they were teenagers, so why should anyone else.  Draco was a different matter, however.  He was still scared of the reaction that would come if he ever appeared with Harry, which was why he had put it off until now.  Blaise and Harry were clearly rubbing off on him if he’d decided that their first appearance together was going to be in England, immediately before the anniversary events.  That would make the front pages, of that he was sure.  Still the plan wasn’t to be seen, it was just to take a risk that they could be.  It was baby steps and it was a risk he could take for Harry. </p><p> </p><p>________________</p><p> </p><p>Being back in England without their disguises felt very strange.  Not even a week had passed since Draco had suggested the trip before they were here.  They were in Palmers Green again, with Teddy.  They hadn’t been here in more than twenty years.  Not since Harry had handed over the papers ending Draco’s probation.  The three of them entered the café and were pleased to see that their favourite table in the window was free.  They ordered three pots of tea and two scones.  A cheese one for Harry and Draco to share, whilst Teddy enjoyed a sweet one with jam and clotted cream.  It was ridiculously easy, and every minute they spent there, Draco felt a little less like he was about to be exposed as a Death Eater corrupting the great Harry Potter.  The bell at the door went and a small girl ran in like she owned the place, followed by a tired looking man that could only be her father.</p><p>“Mummy.  Come see what I did.” The child shouted excitedly, not seeming to care that she was in the middle of a public place.</p><p>A woman came out of the back and kissed the man on the cheek before addressing the little girl. “What did I tell you about behaving politely when you come to see mummy at work Isabella.  You’ll disturb the customers.” The woman turned towards them after she had lightly scolded her little girl, as if she were thinking about apologising to them.  They were the only ones sat in the front of the café.  A look of recognition crossed her face.  Draco thought he recognised her too, but it had been such a long time. “Go on to the back, Izzy, and I’ll bring you a cake and you can show me your drawing later. I have some old friends to greet it seems.”  The little girl ran to the back, followed by her dad, whilst the middle-aged woman came over to their table.</p><p>“I see you’re still drinking Assam and eating cheese scones?”  The woman asked, looking at Harry.</p><p>“Ummm… yes.  You still work here.”</p><p>“I own the place now.  You got your pretty blonde then.”</p><p>Harry snorted.  “Yes, I got my pretty blonde.  Sorry, I cannot for the life of me remember your name.”</p><p>“It’s Victoria.  And it’s been more than twenty years, I can’t remember your name either.”</p><p>“You can still remember our order though.  I’m Harry and please let me introduce you to my husband and godson.  Victoria, this is Teddy.  And my pretty blonde who you remember from all those years ago is Draco.  We’re sorry we haven’t been back sooner, but we moved out of the country.”</p><p>“Well that’s completely understandable.  Teddy, nice to meet you.  Good to see you again Draco, Harry.  I’m so pleased you ended up together.  I used to love having you come here and see the way the two of you were with each other.  I hope you won’t stay away again for so long.  I’d better go deal with my daughter before she comes storming back wondering why I’m taking so long.”</p><p>“You do that.  I remember when Teddy was that age.  Draco tried to instil his own perfect manners into him, but four-year olds tend to forget all about them when they are excited about something.”</p><p>“Why do I feel you’ve just managed to insult me and Teddy?” Draco asked Harry, before addressing Victoria, the young waitress turned middle-aged café owner, who had served them in an old life, who somehow had ended up rooting for them as a couple without him knowing.  “It was lovely to see you again.  And I’m sure we’ll be back at some point soon.  As Harry said, we live abroad, but I think we’re planning on visiting England a little more now.”</p><p>Victoria left the three of them to finish their tea and scones. </p><p>“Did you mean it about coming to England more often, Dray?”  Teddy asked whilst Harry was paying.</p><p>“I think I did.  I forgot how much I missed it.  I forgot what it was like to walk around and be recognised by someone, even someone who barely knew us.  She might not have known our history, but she still was happy to see me and Harry together.  I want that.  I want people to see me and Harry together and be happy for us.”</p><p>“Then that is what you shall have, love.” Harry said from behind him as he returned to the table.  “How about a walk up to the park.  We can decide what to do next there.”</p><p>“Okay.” Draco replied simply.</p><p>Draco hadn’t realised until this moment that it wasn’t just Harry, and Teddy, and their friends and family, that were affected by their bubble life.  That he missed out on things too.  The last time he’d bumped into an old friend had been more than twenty years ago, and Blaise had become one of the most important people in his life.  Living in the shadows meant that would never happen again.  It had taken one interaction with a practical stranger, who nevertheless remembered them, to make him realise this.  The bubble was over.  It wasn’t that it had to be over, their life was good, very good, despite living behind a mask.  It was that they could let it be over.  That he could finally let it be over.  And soon.  Harry had told him more than once that he wanted to world to see their happiness in each other, and finally Draco got it, and wanted it too.  They wouldn’t just appear in public and hide with no comment, the way Harry had with the others.  They would have to talk.  To let people know at least some of the truth.  It wasn’t going to be easy, and there would no doubt be a fair amount of negative publicity when it came to light that Harry was married to him.  He thought it would be worth it though.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A muggleborn young reporter gets an interesting scoop.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I got the epilogue up pretty quickly, but there are probably the same issues with grammar and spelling as in the previous chapter.  I will fix them eventually, but for now you get a completed story.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Justin was taking photos of the birds swimming on the lake.  He was taking pictures of the swans preparing their nests for the eggs they would soon lay.  He would be back in a couple of months to document the cygnets when they hatched, as their fluffy grey down turned to sleek white.  He wondered how many of them there would be.  The park wasn’t crowded today.  It wasn’t warm enough for too many people to be out.  He wondered a little further around the lake, trying to get a different angle for his next photo.  Then he spotted them.  Photos of Harry Potter were not that rare, not like they would have been a few years ago.  Justin had studied the man at school, and had known he disappeared shortly after the war, only to reappear without an explanation about eight years ago, the same year he’d started at Hogwarts.  Back then the pictures would have been front page news every time, but it was still worth trying to get one now, even if it only made the gossip pages.  He didn’t think there had been a photo of Harry Potter in England to date, so that had to mean something.  He directed his camera towards Harry and the two people he was with, a blonde man around the same age as Harry Potter, and a younger man, who Justin recognised as having been seen with Harry Potter before.  As he took the picture the blonde pushed up his sleeves and brushed some hair out of Harry Potters face.  It was an intimate gesture, that spoke of a familiarity between the two men.  Maybe this photo would be worth more than he thought.  The two men appeared to be in a relationship, and that was definitely new information.  He looked down at the digital display of the magical camera, watching the image repeat.  There was something on the blonde man’s left arm, a faded tattoo.  He zoomed in closer to get a better look and couldn’t believe what he was seeing.  He stood there in shock, staring at the Dark Mark on the screen.  He hadn’t been born until after the war, but he knew what that mark meant.  He knew he should leave but couldn’t quite bring himself to move just yet.  He heard someone shouting and looked up.  The blonde man was looking at him.</p><p>“Hey you.  Photographer, Journalist whatever you are.  Come over here.”  The blonde man shouted again.</p><p>He thinks about running but his feet don’t seem to want to obey.  He suspects that if he goes over the two men will destroy the photo he’s just taken, but it still isn’t enough to get him to move.</p><p>“Don’t run.  We’re not going to stop you publishing, we just want to talk to you first.” It was Harry Potter that addressed him this time.</p><p>He slowly started to make his way towards the trio.  He’s not sure he trusts them, but he’s curious.  To his knowledge Harry Potter has not spoken to any journalists since before the war, let alone since his disappearance and subsequent sightings. </p><p>“We can tell from the look on your face we know you think you’ve got a big story with that photo, and you’re also petrified that we’re going to stop you.”  Harry Potter states, matter of factly, when he comes close enough that they don’t need to shout.</p><p>Justin nods once, still feeling shocked at the turn of events his day had taken.  He’d only come here to look at the birds.  A silly hobby his friends tease him about.  Now he’s got a photo of Harry Potter and Death Eater behaving for all the world like a couple and rather than hexing him to stop him publishing the photo, they’re talking to him.</p><p>“How about we make a deal, urrr… sorry what’s your name?”  Harry Potter asks him.</p><p>“It’s Justin.” He manages when he finally finds his voice. “What kind of deal?”  This is getting curiouser and curiouser.</p><p>The blonde answers this time.  “One I think you’ll like rather a lot.  We’d very much like to have a few days to prepare for this particular story to break.  So we are going to agree to answer three questions in exchange for three days delay.  We think it’s very generous.  It’s certainly a bigger break than a journalist barely out of school could ever expect.”</p><p>Justin doesn’t take long to think about it.  This is more than he could ever have expected.  This will catapult his career faster than he could ever imagine.  He has to make sure of something though before he agrees.  “Any three questions?”</p><p>“Well we have a couple of stipulations.”  The blonde said, confirming what Justin had expected. Before he could speak up and ask what those limits might be the blonde continued, answering the unasked question. “Don’t ask us about anything we did during war, and don’t ask us about why Harry disappeared.  Will this be acceptable?  I think it’s pretty generous.  But please remember that if you agree to this and go back on your word, we’ll bankrupt you and your paper and make sure you never work again.”</p><p>Justin just stood there, reverting back to stunned silence.</p><p>“No need to scare the man, Dray.” The younger man spoke, apparently teasing the Death Eater, like it was nothing in the world.  Justin watched in wonder as the blonde just rolled his eyes in response, whilst Harry Potter looked between his two companions, bemused.</p><p>“Do we have a deal, Justin?”  The blonde reiterates.</p><p>“I think I can work with that.”  It’s the understatement of the century.   He would be completely insane to turn down their offer.  If he’s clever with his questions he’s sure he can end up with one hell of a front-page spread.  And really a three-day delay wasn’t exactly much to ask for, though it might result in a few fights with his editor depending on how big this story could actually be.</p><p>“Go ahead.” Harry Potter sighs.</p><p>Justin thinks carefully about his first question, trying to work about the best way to get the information he thinks will make a good story within his limited questions. “You haven’t been seen in England for over 20 years, what are you doing back here now?”  It feels like a good start, and none of the men he’s talking to seem to take objection to it. </p><p>It’s Harry that answers. “We’re visiting my Godson, Teddy and thought we’d see some of the places we used to like to go to. Next question.”</p><p>Not a very interesting answer, to be sure, but more information than Harry Potter has given anyone before.  No one had worked out the relationship between young man who frequently appeared with Harry Potter was before now, which was something.  He needs to move on to his next question, rather than ponder on what had just been revealed.  He can’t ask about what they did in the war.  It would be interesting to hear about, with both the saviour of the wizarding world and a death eater in front of him, but he’d agreed not to ask.  So he can’t ask directly, but there might be a way of asking indirectly finding out about how Harry Potter feels about the war now. </p><p>“Headmistress McGonagall has invited you publicly to attend the 25-year anniversary celebration of the battle of Hogwarts – are you planning on going?”</p><p>He hears the young man, the one Harry Potter called Teddy, snort at the question, as if the anniversary was some kind of private joke.</p><p>“I have no intention of going.”  Harry Potter answers, looking pointedly at both Teddy and the blonde.</p><p>“I don’t intend to go either.”  The blonde man adds.  The Justin watches on in amazement as the two of them start jovially bickering between themselves. </p><p>“Not like they’d invite you anyway.”</p><p>“I could go as your guest.”</p><p>“And they’d turn you away at the door, prat.  Besides, I’m not going.”</p><p>“I could take Dray as my guest – I got an invite too.  It’s not only war heroes and saviours that get invited.  Apparently being the child of war heroes is more than enough.”  Teddy interrupts.  The three of them are acting suspiciously like a very close family and it’s intriguing.</p><p>“Like I’d want to attend anyway.  It’s a ridiculous celebration of overcoming prejudice by dishing out more prejudice.”  The blonde man has put on a decidedly haughty expression, but all it seems to do it make Harry Potter look at him more affectionately than before.   </p><p>“Enough, Love. You know I feel exactly the same way.  Now let’s let this nice young man ask his final question.  That last one was actually pretty good.”</p><p>The banter between them seemed to have eased some of the tension, and Justin felt he’d just gotten an awful lot more out of his question than he was expecting.  Still he had one question to go, and the way the two men were behaving with each other had given him an idea.  He had suspected that they were in some kind of relationship from his first sight of them.  The way they spoke to each other had confirmed it.  Now he was closer he was also able to see the matching wedding bands on their fingers.  He knows what the public really want is the reason Harry Potter disappeared in the first place, but maybe a story about how a Death Eater and Saviour of the Wizarding world got together would be a close second.</p><p>“How did you two get together?”</p><p>None of them answer him.  They clearly weren’t expecting this question and if he’s reading the expressions on their faces right, he’s just stumbled onto what has the makings to be a massive story.</p><p>It’s Teddy that breaks the silence. “You did promise him Harry. Dray.” </p><p>“This will cause a bigger media storm than the photo itself.” Harry Potter says, although Justin is sure that he’d not the one being spoken to. </p><p>“Mother will kill us.  Not to mention Aunt Andi.  I know I said I was ready for this.  But I was expecting to have more than a few hours before it was splashed all over the Prophet.  I expected us to be sending in some kind of formal statement.  Not this.”  The blonde, who Justin still hadn’t worked out a name more useful than Dray, said.  He would have to look into who this man was when he got back.</p><p>“You have to give him something.   It was a clever question.”  Teddy pleaded.  Justin finds himself liking the man, who can’t be too much older than he is, they might have even been in school at the same time, although he doesn’t remember him.   He stays silent, waiting for the two older men to think.</p><p>“Harry, it’s up to you.  I told you I was ready, even if this isn’t quite what I had planned.”  Justin watches as the blonde man reaches to squeeze Harry Potters hand as he spoke.  Justin watches as Harry Potter’s expression changes from indecision to resignation to determination over a couple of seconds.  The blonde man looks scared, but he seems to want it to be Harry’s decision.</p><p>“Your right, love. Sod it all, we’ve lived with this secret for too long.  If they see I was able to get over the view that all Slytherins are evil, and that people shouldn’t be accountable forever for mistakes they make at sixteen, maybe they’ll realise what idiots they’ve all been.  We’ve never really given anyone a chance to deal with this and get over themselves.  We got over ourselves didn’t we.  I’m not telling you how we got together.  That’s just for me and Draco.  I will tell you when we got together.  It should be more than enough for you to work the rest out.  We got together nearly 25 years ago.  Around two or three months after the war ended.”</p><p>Justin can understand now why they were reluctant to tell him this.  The look on Harry’s face seems to show complete shock that he actually came out and said it.  The blonde man, who Harry was calling Draco – an improvement on Dray, but not the full name he really wants, seems to share the sentiment, whatever he was saying before about supporting Harry Potter with this, he didn’t think he’d actually go through with it. </p><p>“I can’t believe you really just did that Harry.  Fuck.  Talk about diving off the deep end.  I come round to think about doing this no more than an hour ago and here we are telling our biggest secret to a journalist already.  I love you Harry Potter, but you’re taking the blame with mother.  Fucking Gryffindor.” Draco is laughing slightly hysterically as he says this.  Justin just watches on in amazement, unable to believe what he’s just been told either.  He stays silent and lets the two men get on with their bickering.  They gave him plenty of useful information with their bickering before, he can only hope they’ll do it again.   Harry appears to regain his composure again and does indeed start jovially bickering back.</p><p>“Hey, Cissa loves me.  And we should have done this years ago.  Decades ago.  Maybe then the idiots who look down on you would grow up.  Even if they don’t, we’re not 19 anymore.  We’re not insecure scared children who’d just been through a traumatic event.  We can deal with whatever they decide to throw at us.”  Harry turned to look at him after he said this, and the expression on his face was anything but the loving light-hearted one he’d had for the Death Eater.  “Now you.  I have just given you what is probably the biggest scoop of your career, and if you want to go away with that information in your head and not wondering off not knowing what you did in the last week, you will agree to my terms.”</p><p>“And they think I’m the evil one.” Draco muttered, mostly to himself.  Justin just stared, waiting for Harry Potter to continue.  He didn’t need to say anything yet.</p><p>“The article you write.  There will be no derogatory language to refer to my husband.  No inflammatory speculation or unfounded accusations.  I love Draco and he loves me.  Nothing is changing that.  There was no manipulation on his part, if anything I was the one in the wrong back then.  We fell in love.  Simple.  Now if you write the story to our satisfaction, and ensure you stick to your promise about waiting three days, then we may, and I mean may, allow you a second interview.  You can have the whole fucking story.  And you know what.  I’ve changed my mind about going to the stupid anniversary event.  I think I might just attend after all.  It’s not like I can make more of a pig’s ear of it than I managed last time I went.  Write that.  Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy will be attending the ball at Hogwarts together this year.  It’ll make a lovely conclusion to your piece.</p><p>Justin looks between all of them.  The younger man, Teddy, is practically bouncing in hysterics.  Draco Malfoy, a Death Eater that wasn’t in Azkaban, is burying his head in the shoulder of the saviour of the wizarding world, who is in turn glaring at Justin, waiting for an answer.  There is really only one answer to give.  Justin nods.  He watches as Harry lifts Draco’s head up to his and kisses him lightly before leaning back and propping himself up on his arms.  Justin wishes he could take another photo but thinks that might be pushing it.</p><p>“Why don’t you give us your business card and shove off now.  You have a significant amount of research to do and me and my foolish idiot husband were enjoying a lovely day in the sun.”  Draco Malfoy says, dismissing him.  Justin turns and walks away.  He can hear the three men laughing together behind him.  He definitely has one hell of a lot to do in the next three days, but he’s definitely sure it will be worth it.</p><p> </p><p>_____________</p><p> </p><p>Unlike last time he was here his robes feel perfect.  He looks with adoration and love as helps his guest down from the carriage.  It’s taken twenty-five years for Harry to finally to decide to tell the world where they could shove their opinions.  He didn’t realise the relief it would bring.  Until this moment he didn’t realise quite what living in secret had really meant.  He might not have made up with old family, but he was coming to terms with it.  Showing them he trusted them, even if he never knew whether it made a difference to them, had been enough to soothe that burden on his psyche a little.  And a little was better than nothing.  Besides, they were probably going to be there this evening.  They would see him and Draco, the same as everyone else.  He’d be telling the Weasleys’ from outside of the bubble.  He’d be telling the whole fucking world.  But it wasn’t just about letting the world see him and Draco together. This was him finally coming to the realisation that the rest of the world had no rights over what made him happy.  That they could say whatever they wanted to him and it wouldn’t mean anything.  He was going to spend the evening showing off the man he loved to the wizarding world.  After tonight, if they decided to never show their true faces in public again, then it would be for them, and not for everyone else.  Fear wasn’t going to dictate how they spent their lives together like it had for too many years.  Hiding wasn’t the goal any more. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So I managed to finish it.  And with only a week of being completely stuck, which is a definate improvment.  I'm not sure what I'm going to write next.  I have a couple of WIPs sat on my computer.  Two new stories that I've started but don't have fully worked out and the prequel that I've been writing for years to my other published complete work, that I am very stuck on.  It may be a while before I post anything else, and I don't think there will be anymore to this story.  Although I've said that more than once before and changed my mind, so it could happen.  Thank you to everyone that has read and given kudos.  Special thanks to all of those who have left comments, particularly the repeat offenders who I always love to hear from.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>